NO fewer than 300 livestock farmers have been trained by the Ondo State government on low cost feed production, using alternative feed sources and feed ingredients in oder to increase their profits.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the Palliative and Strategy Implementation in the state, Mr Wale Akinterinwa, who said the training was designed to curb the cost of feed challenge being faced by farmers and to encourage them in the purchase of livestock.
Akinterinwa, who was represented by the Special Assistant on Agric and Agricbusiness, Pastor Akin Olotu, said the training would also help to reduce the competition rate between men and animals for conventional feed ingredients.
According to him, the training was organised to empower livestock farmers on how to maximise their profit by formulating feed themselves and to source for alternative feed for livestock.
Olotu said the first phase of the feed palliatives had been distributed and the farmers should be expecting the second and third phases.
He urged the farmers to appreciate and accept whatever the state government made available to them saying it was just a palliative to relieve the hardship occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.
Olotu disclosed that the state government was also looking into transportation issue, adding the government had purchased some tricycles for distribution for easy transportation of agricultural goods to urban centres.
While calling on the people to invest in agricultural production, especially the livestock production, the Palliative Implementation chairman stressed the need to expand and explore other areas of agriculture to enhance food production.
The chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria, South-West zone, Revd Gideon Oluleye, stated the enthusiasm of the participants showed their seriousness to drive production of feed in the state.
He said the areas covered during the training which included poultry, goat and sheep, fishery, pigs and others would help the participants to improve their economic situation and make them to remain in business.
Oluleye said the training exposed the farmers to some area which could be explored and would be beneficial to them, urging the participants to make use of the training for better output.
“The impact of the programme is exceptional because cost of feed production is beyond the reach of the people”, he added.
Oluleye, who commended the state government, described the initiative as a radical departure from the past experience, saying the distribution of tricycle to farmers was a special innovation that would go a long way to aid production and output.
The state Chairman, Ondo state Agricultural Commodity Association (OSACA), Mr Gbenga Obawaye, represented by Mr Ademola Akinbobade, said the association was doing its best to unite the farmers to work as a team and urged participants to replicate what they learnt to others.
