Akwa Ibom State government has entered into partnership through equity participation with a foreign firm to boost poultry out-growers’ scheme aimed at generating income for farmers as well as creating jobs for the off takers.
Based on demand driven model, the hatchery, which is located in Uruan Local Government Area, has a capacity of over 200,000 day-old chicks per week and has already commenced operations.
Bala Yakubu, general manager of the farm, said with the coming on stream of the hatchery, it would supply other parts of the country with day-old chicks, as the state was already the largest off taker of day-old chicks in Nigeria.
“By the middle of next month, we should be doubling our hatch capacity and by the end of the year, we would be approaching the threshold of our target in optimal production of 200,000 day-old chicks per week,’’ he said.
The hatchery, which comprises several sections including a large poultry farm where over 5000 birds are reared, a cold room, store for processing of chickens as well as a breeder farm, is one of the major projects being undertaken by the state government in partnership with the private sector.
Speaking at the commencement of the tour of government projects, Yakubu, who enumerated gains in the hatchery value chain including the provision of organic manure for farmers as well as a ready market for suppliers of wood shavings, popularly called saw dust, said the hatchery would also encourage large-scale cultivation of maize for a feed mill in the area.
In his remarks, Ufot Ebong, coordinator of the Akwa Ibom Employment and Enterprise Scheme (AKEES), said the state government had acquire a 14-hectare of land for the hatchery project, maintaining that such a large hectare of land was needed for a breeder farm.
“Hatching eggs without a breeder farm is meaningless, so government had to act in that direction and following the increase in demand, it decided to acquire more land for that purpose,’’ he said.
Speaking also, Charles Udoh, commissioner of information and strategy, expressed satisfaction with the hatchery project, saying it had generated employment opportunities for hundreds of youths in the state, and described the project as a giant step towards the industrialisation programme of the state government.
Facilitated by the Ministry of Information and Strategy, the tour is expected to highlight the major achievements of the state government as it gets closer to its second anniversary.
ANIEFIOK UDONQUAK
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