Egg production is a substantial portion of the value chain in the poultry sub-sector. It boost local content utilisation with high demand in confectionary business, cosmetic production, beverages, households consumption, manufacturing and industrial sector.
In spite of the harsh economic realities and challenges facing the poultry sector, economists and policy makers argued that poultry farming has the potential to solve the problems of meat supply in the country.
To this end, Mrs. Funke Egbetokun, a livestock farmer and Egg distributor, in an interview with LEADERSHIP explained the challenges, processes, growers advice, recommendations and Investment opportunities in poultry farming as she builds capacity in poultry business to weather the storm of retirement from civil service.
Start-up Capital
She disclosed that to invest in table eggs production in Nigeria for startups cost at least N2million of which a larger chunk would be used to purchase birds, pen construction and minimal land space. Birds domestication involves feeding with good food, administering drugs and injection of poultry vaccines, she said.
Challenges
Highlighting the challenges , she disclosed that, one major issue in the production of eggs, is the glut of antibiotics usage among poultry farmers. She said many laying birds have too much deposits of antibiotics in them.
She said, one of the gluts of poultry closure is the injection of antibiotics, administering of strange drugs to birds to fatten up as local production falls short of the demand, hence, leading to high mortality in poultry birds.
She explained that, though, Egg supply business in the agricultural value-chain is worth billions of Naira in the Nigerian market, she added that, anyone who ventures into poultry farming should be prepared to face supply and distribution hurdles.
Logistics
She said, an expanding poultry sector comes with an increasing problem of logistics to boost supply chain.
She further said, in other to transport eggs from one place to another in large quantity to the market, there’s need for a viable transport system to convey the eggs from the poultry farm for distribution to the retailers and other chains of suppliers in the market to avoid breaks, cracks, losses and wastages.
She espoused that, Nigeria poultry faces investment challenges, adding that, the most widely discussed is the high cost of feeds which gulps 80% of budget on food. She said, with young farmers joining the industry, Nigeria is turning the issue to its advantage.
Recommendations
She suggested that Nigerians should diversify their income by expanding apprenticeship programmes to develop skills and talents to do business in innovative ways, adding that, many employees and families are living through the worst stretch of economic recession because of the economic fallout of the pandemic.
Many families and small scale businesses are at a breaking point. It is time to address the country’s need by diversifying the economy, while advising individuals who might be willing to make a fortune to venture into poultry business. “It’s a lucrative business, but you have to undergo training to venture into it,” she pointed out.
