In its bid to cushion the effect of the rising cost of producing poultry feeds, Delta State Government, has distributed 7,660 bags (388 tonnes) of maize to members of the Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN) in the state.
Speaking during the distribution of the maize at the ADP office in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Council, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transport and Secretary of the State Palliatives Committee, Chief Jaro Egbo, said the state government’s gesture was in line with Governor Sheriff Oborevwori’s agenda to assist poultry farmers.
Egbo said the gesture was also to reduce the high cost of living by encouraging the production of what is consumed in the state; a development which he assured would ultimately enable the state to compete favourably with any other state in the country in terms of agricultural productivity.
According to him, 528 tonnes of maize were expected to be distributed to poultry farmers in the state at the end of the exercise, adding that the verification of the list of members submitted by PAN showed substantial compliance of about 97 per cent.
“A total of 528 tonnes of maize are to be distributed to poultry farmers in the state out of which we are releasing 7,660 bags, which is about 388 tonnes to the poultry farmers until we sort out other grey areas to see whether those farms exist or not,” he said.
Egbo added that bags of rice had earlier been distributed across the state by the same committee.
Also speaking at the ceremony, the Executive Assistant to the State Governor on Agriculture, George Oyefia, said there were three commodity associations which he listed to include the poultry farmers, the pig farmers and fish farmers, stressing that the committee was dealing with poultry farmers alone in the present cycle of distribution of palliatives.
“The poultry farmers association has been existing and the people you see here are their members. We are not dealing only with the poultry farmers alone; we are aware that there are some people who are not members of the poultry farmers association. We call them non-association members. Very soon, we will be dealing with those people.”
In his remarks, the Chairman of PAN, Chief Eric Tomfawei, expressed appreciation to the governor for his policies and programmes.
While saying the palliatives would go a long way in enhancing their productivity, Tomfawei assured the state government that they would make judicious utilisation of the palliatives for the intended goal.
