Livestock Industry Foundation for Africa (LIFA) in partnership with ZOETIS-ALPHA Initiative on Wednesday 17th July, 2019 organized a one day workshop that updates farmers on Poultry Health and Nutrition.
The programme “Knowledge Update on Poultry Health and Nutrition” was influenced by the African Livestock Productivity and Health Advancement (ALPHA) Initiative. It is an initiative launched by Zoetis in May 2017 and jointly funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates towards the establishment of sustainable Veterinary diagnostic networks and animal health infrastructure in Uganda, Nigeria and Ethiopia. The initiative aims at improving livestock health and positively impact farmers’ livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The collaboration with LIFA to organize this knowledge update is in line with one of the objectives of the initiative; to support local Veterinary stakeholder and farmers with professional education and entrepreneurial skills development via face to face training and online learning. In the first series of programme in Ibadan, it was attended by over 200 participants from different states and within the Southwest zone axis of Ekiti, Ogun, Osun, Lagos, Ondo and Oyo states.
The programme started with registration of participants and networking amongst regional farmers. Farmers were already in the venue as early as 9:am to learn, show support and be part of history of the mother of all poultry workshop organized by LIFA.
Dr Stephen Adejoro on his welcome address expatiated on his mission to improve the livestock industry through LIFA initiatives. Advocacy, education and knowledge update through training has been the driving tools for LIFA and these initiated the partnership between LIFA and ZOETIS.
Mr Joshua Olorungbemi, ZOETIS Country lead, was represented by Dr Dolapo Babajide and while also giving a welcome address, he let known the efforts of ZOETIS through the ALPHA initiative to advance livestock productivity in the three selected African countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia and Uganda). He is optimistic that the program will scale through in Nigeria as other selected countries are also recording successes.
Mrs Blessing Alawode, the chairperson of the occasion in her speech commended the effort of the organizers of the programme. She emphasized on the need for continual knowledge acquisition and a better farmer to farmer relationship. Although the industry is dominated by small and medium scale farmers, it is still the most organized livestock industry in Nigeria, she added.
The lecture delivery took a dynamic pattern and were presented by five seasoned resource persons; Dr Kehinde Adebowale, Dr Stephen Adejoro, Dr Niyi Bankole, Dr Olugbenga Ogunwole and Chief Ogunnaike folorunsho who was represented by Dr Kehinde Oyewole.
Dr kehinde Adebowale, one of ZOETIS staff delivered a lecture on Respiratory Disease Complex in Poultry Management. He advised farmers on a need to ensure good ventilation and to avoid overcrowding in order to prevent pathogens from thriving in the poultry premises.
Dr Stephen Adejoro delivered a lecture on Climate Change Effects on Poultry Health and Production. He discussed the implications of climate changes on poultry incubation and hatching of day old chicks, chick’s placement on farm, diseases and resistance development, and mycotoxin effects in feeds and feedstuffs.
Dr Niyi Bankole, also a staff of Zoetis, lectured farmers on Gut Health Management as a tool for Enhancing Productivity. He noted the enormous need to adequately give attention to poultry gut as it serves as portal of entry for microbes as well as passage of feed, drugs, and oral vaccines.
Dr Olugbenga Ogunwole, an Animal Nutritionist from the University of Ibadan further supported the gut health in poultry with evidences of appropriate nutrition and supplementation so as to ensure optimal performance and productivity of the birds. His lecture was centered on Gut Management: A Tool for Enhancing Poultry Production
Dr Kehinde Oyewole delivered the last lecture on behalf of Chief Folorunso Ogunnaike, the chairman of Hope Farms. The lecture, Under-taking Trans-generational poultry business reviewed poultry business environment over the decades and how some farms have never ceased to exist. He noted the advances that had been recorded which made poultry farming more secured. He however highlighted the areas that still requires government intervention such as tax moratorium for poultry farmers, disease outbreak and egg glut management.
LIFA also featured the need for improved egg consumption through indigenous egg based recipe. The initiative which had earlier started on the organization’s social media platform seeks to reduce the perennial egg glut in the country through indigenous egg recipe. An awareness video presentation that showed various indigenous egg recipes were played. The series of recipe are; egg moi moi, egg vegetable soup, egg myonaise, egg rice pizza and egg cheese. One of slight menu served at the occasion included a new egg recipe and LIFA distributed questionnaire to sample participants’ opinion on palatability and taste of the egg recipe.
The lecture was attended by several important dignitaries of the poultry industry among which are; Mr Agboola Gbemisola (PAN Chairman, Oyo State), Mrs Blessing Alawode (PAN Chair, Ogun State), Engineer Yemi Ajijolaiya (MD, GS Farms), Dr Baba Wagetti (Adamore Limited), Mr Toyese Oyedele (Skretting Nig Ltd), Engineer Olateru (Terudee farms) and several field and technical officers from Zoetis, CHI Farm, Zartech Farm, members of LIFA and numerous poultry farmers.
LIFA will extend the lecture to other states in the country to further equip poultry farmers. The states include Abuja, Imo, Kano, Jos, and Benin. Which state is next? Can you guess? Anticipate for a new delivery of seasoned poultry updates on health and nutrition in the Federal Capital Territory of the country. LIFA is available for collaboration that are centered on farmers education, advocacy and training.
