By Saidu Adamu
Jalingo – The Alliance for Sustainable Livestock (ASL) in collaboration with Ardo Yahaya Global Ventures (AYGV), has commenced the training of 2,000 women and youths on Climate Smart Poultry Production in Taraba.
The two-day exercise is aimed at training the participants on Climate Smart Poultry Production practices, introduce them to Vaccine Business Management and the process of stepping down the training to grassroots.
The Chief Executive Officer of AYGV, Hajiya Aishatu Ardo, convener of the training, explained that while emphasis was placed on the production of high breeds of poultry, especially broilers, little attention was given to the production of indigenous breeds and the training hoped to bridge the knowledge gap.
“With the threat to food security and other challenges confronting the families, we believe that the training will position the women to get the additional income required to improve their standard of living.
“There is an increased demand for indigenous chicken breed over the broilers and we hope to encourage this maximally.
“We hope to curb the high mortality rate of indigenous breeds and we hope to train them on the basic skills to tackle this and take it down to the grassroots.
“We focus more on the women because they are the live wires of every home. If we can train them to rear the poultry breed we commonly call local breed in their back yards but in a more improved way, it will go a long way.
“Usually, the chickens were allowed to raise the chicks over a long time. We would train them to take up the chicks just after two days of hatching and brood them same way we do with the broilers.
“That way, the chickens are able to hatch another litter quickly and there is abundance.
“Again, you know that the local breed is mostly scavengers. We hope to train them on how to add little supplements to their feeding so that they are able to perform a lot better and grow faster,” she said.
The Director, Livestock Services, Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, Taraba, Mr Daudu Mbaamo, asked the participants to take the training seriously as it was a rare privilege for them to have been chosen to be part of the training.
“The state will collaborate with every efforts at improving food Security, especially now that things are critically difficult for everyone, occasioned by the fuel subsidy removal.
“Those of you selected for the training are exceptionally lucky to have been chosen. Make sure you step down the training and make the best of it.
“Occupy yourselves productively and I can assure you that these skills will last for life. Our contemporary realities mean that we must sit up and think outside the box to make ends meet.”
Some of the participants and other speakers at the programme hailed the convener of the training for its timeliness.
He said it came at a time of extreme hardship when people looked desperately for other means of improving their livelihoods.
He called on her to sustain the training so that more people would key into it. (NAN/vitalnewsngr.com)
