The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security partnered with the Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning to empower 1,110 smallholder poultry farmers across the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria.
This was disclosed by Deola Lordbanjou, federal director of Agricultural extension services who represented Tope Fashedemi, permanent secretary of the Federal Ministry of Agriculture at the training and empowerment of the beneficiaries of the program in Ogun State.
The empowerment was held under the National Poverty Reduction with Growth Strategy program in the 36 States of the federation and FCT, according to a statement.
It said each beneficiary received day-old chicks, feeds, and cash support to raise the broiler’s chicken to market weight.
“The objective of the training and empowerment is to lift the smallholder poultry farmers in Nigeria out of poverty by training them on modern technology of rearing broiler chicken and also arouse their interest in broiler production enterprise after the initial support from the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security,” Fashedemi said.
She said the inputs given are to encourage the farmers in sustainable poultry production having realized how profitable it is to engage in the business of broiler production.
Felix Okonkwo, director of the Macro Economic Policy Department, Federal Ministry of Budget and National Planning urged the 1,110 beneficiaries to see poultry farming as a business that is capable of providing regular income for their families.
Okonkwo revealed that the ministry would constantly monitor the beneficiaries on how the program is impacting their lives.
