Ruth Adio is a certified educationist, pastor, wife, mother and poultry farmer. She is the CEO of Ruthamos Farms, where she breeds organic day-old broilers and layers till they are matured for either consumption or egg laying. A graduate of English/Yoruba education from Olabisi Onabanjo University, she is also a master’s degree holder from the University of Lagos.
Adio was inspired to take up poultry farming because she and her family members are conscious of healthy living and the quality of food they eat. This consciousness pushes them to grow what they eat.
The entrepreneur says that she saw it necessary to share the unbeatable quality of her poultry products with the public.
Adio started the poultry two years ago with N500, 000. She used the money to procure the first batch of chicks from an agricultural company which operates a hatchery in Ibadan.
She was able to get the funds through her savings as well as loans. She ploughs back a major part of the profits into the business in order to scale.
Speaking her business growth, she agrees that it has not been easy, but it is worth the stress. For her, taking care of the chicks involves a difficult procedure which is repeated frequently. The entrepreneur, however, eatsn healthy and makes substantial profits from the business.
Although she is yet to employ paid staff members, she has people who help her out. These include family members, a friend with valuable experience in poultry business and other people who assist in cleaning and other basic chores especially when demand is high. Adio says that she is motivated by her husband who encourages her to think far and take up challenges.
The entrepreneur admits that as much as she loves her poultry business, some challenges make the business difficult to run.
“When the chicks are young, their mortality rate is usually high and sometime can be beyond control,” she says.
“Drugs and vaccines are scarce, especially in this period of lockdown. Prices of feed fluctuate and these chicks eat a lot. Also, people tend to buy on credit or expect them as gifts,” she further says.
While she has been able to handle some of these challenges, she urges the government to step in and make some policies to make the business easy to run.
Despite the large market, Adio has been able to make a name for herself and has endeared herself to customers by ensuring that she does not compromise quality or use unnecessary chemicals for the chicks.
“We feed them properly, and we are concerned about the health of the poultry, not just sales,” she notes.
“So we keep the environment clean, giving drugs and vaccines at the right time and in the proper dosage. We also stock and properly preserve feed and vaccines in large quantity for emergencies,” she says.
As part of her business expansion, Adio plans to incorporate other birds like turkey, duck and possibly develop her own hatchery, while incorporating technology. To develop herself and business, she participates in valuable trainings online and offline which she sees a form of investment.
Juggling the role of a pastor, wife, educationist and mother, she agrees that it is not easy but requires grit and hard work. She is determined to feed Nigerians with high-quality poultry products, and is grateful for the support of family, including her grown children and friends.
Advising younger entrepreneurs, she says, “Be determined; there is no business without challenges, but before giving up, think of why you started.”
