The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, (FUNAAB), yesterday received the certificate of registration of Improved Indigenous Chicken Breed for FUNAAB Alpha, making the university to be the first to be so certified for its FUNAAB Alpha.
The FUNAAB Alpha was developed by a team of scientists in the university, led by the first female Nigerian professor of Animal Breeding and Genetics Resources, Prof. Olufunmilayo Adebambo.
Briefing newsmen during the presentation of the Certificate of Registration yesterday, FUNAAB Vice Chancellor, Prof. Felix Kolawole Salako, said the research has been on since 1994, after the pioneer VC of the university, Prof. Nurudeen Olorunnimbe Adedipe, challenged Prof. Adebambo to work on Animal Breeding in 1993.
He said Adebambo, for the first 16 years in her academic career, worked on the development of improved indigenous pigs in Nigeria to international standard.
He said, “On 26 July, the breed, having been found acceptable by our rural and commercial producers was registered as FUNAAB Alpha chicken breed, with Registration Number NGGGD-18-02 by the National Committee on Naming, Registration and Release of Crops Varieties, Livestock Breeds and Fisheries in Nigeria, NCNRCVLBFN.
The VC added that with every sense of responsibility, “with this giant stride, our university has successfully placed on the Nigeria poultry market, a dual purpose breed of chicken tested under rural households from September 2016 to December 2017; and was found to be one of the breeds preferred for egg production under semi-scavenging and scavenging conditions.’’
“It is worth noting that the Broiler Breed, also developed for commercial meat production attains 1.5 kg at eight weeks of age, white skinned, low fat with tough tastier meat produced for Nigeria cuisine.
“In the same vein, the Dual Purpose FUNAAB ALPHA attains 2.1 to 2,6 kg at 20 weeks for males, 1.6 to 1.8 kg for females, while eggs were improved from white to brown from 39 g to 55 g and from 60 to 120 eggs to 200 to 250 eggs per annum.”
