PROBLEMS MILITATING AGAINST COMMERCIAL POULTRY PRODUCTION IN EDO STATE: A CASE STUDY OF OVIA NORTH EAST LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA. A RESEARCH PROJECT MATERIAL ON AGRICULTURAL SCIENCE
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY
Poultry embraces all domesticated birds for the purpose of meat and egg production intended for human consumption. It includes domestic fowl, turkey, duck, geese, pheasant, guinea fowl e.t.c the need to provide sufficient animal protein for the human race is the paramount concern to animal scientists and vegetarians. Agriculturists and nutritionists are generally agreed that developing the poultry industry in Nigeria is the fastest means of bringing the protein deficiency gap presently prevailing in the country (FAO, 1965).
Poultry production is one of the best available systems for the production of high biological value animal protein for human consumption and thus has emerged as a good substitute of beef and mutton, especially in underdeveloped countries. Therefore, poultry farming particularly, is playing a pivotal role in bridging the gap between supply and requirement of animal protein and it also stabilizing the prices of theses commodities. No doubt poultry industry has developed tremendously in the last four decades but still it is far behind the advanced countries while fulfilling the nutritional requirements of the Nation (Ayelea, G., Abdul Jabbar, M., Teklewold , H., Mulugeta, E. and Getahun Kebedec, 2003). There does, exist a huge potential for the growth of domestic poultry in order to meet the domestic requirements and also to generate exportable surpluses. Whereas, poultry farmers are still using the conventional methods of farming while advanced countries are using latest techniques and technologies in this sector. At present students and farmers don’t know how to use these techniques and technologies in a precise way. On the other hand some farmers are importing the modern equipments which are not applicable in our climatic conditions and are also difficult to handle. Therefore, it can be envisaged that there is a dire need to motivate the poultry farmers toward the adaptation of modern equipments through development of locally designed technologies.
In the modern commercial poultry industry, there are challenges in the production of poultry product ranging from increases in disease and infections by enteric pathogens, problem of marketing poultry product. The major problem of the poultry production in Nigeria is that of low productivity and inefficiency in resource allocation and utilization (Onyenweaku and Effiong, 2006). The poultry industry in Nigeria is characterized by high production costs, low profit margins, and high feed bills. Andargachew (2006), showed that increase in livestock production in Nigeria derives mainly from average expansion rather than higher intensification and productivity of resources.
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