A few years ago, Nigeria was in dire need of poultry products and even now, the demand for poultry products has not by any means reduced. As a local Nigerian breed, I see it as a tradition to keep local birds for family consumption. During my growing up days, my parents kept local fowls and did not need to purchase chicken for Christmas. The fowls were so plentiful that every weekend, we ate chicken.
Today, that tradition of keeping or breeding local chicken is going down gradually as many homes are not following in the footsteps of their parents.
However, if I am given one month to learn a skill, I will jump at poultry business, especially the broilers and laters because of the economic gain there is.
A bosom friend of mine set up a poultry farm about two years ago despite the high cost of fowl feed, he weathered the storm and today, he fetches eggs like water and counts his money daily in hundreds of thousands. This is why I will be going hard on the poultry business.
Poultry farming is highly profitable and can generate steady income for farmers. In a country where one source of income is not enough to cater for one's daily needs, I would prefer to learn the required skills for poultry farming.
Yesterday, my wife was alarmed when she intended to prepare chicken stew and was told that one kilo of chicken is seven thousand (#7,000) naira. It is true that poultry products such as meat and eggs are in high demand and can provide a reliable source of protein for consumers. You must have heard that to break through in Nigeria, you must have a product that the mass population may need.
I understand that poultry farming requires a high level of capital investment compared to other types of livestock farming. My plan is to use my savings and write a proposal to the bank of agriculture where grants are being issued to farmers for me to keep start the farm.
Poultry species have a quick turnover rate which allows farmers to get their returns on investment within a short period of time. You can see that this is one of the best channels to break through in Nigeria.
Another profit from.poultry farming is the manure which is gotten from fowl wastes that can be used as a valuable source of fertilizer for crops, reducing the need for chemical fertilizers. The natural waste is often sold to crop farmers. This can serve as an extra source of income.
The threat of food scarcity can be drastically reduced through poultry farming. This global endemic which is largely caused by the geometric growth in population and the demand for more farming, whereas most African nations are still looking up to importation is the more reason we all should embrace one kind of farming or the other. Looking at our demographic advantage, farmers are at advantage to making more money because the food market is one that attracts customers.
The fear of the large capital that is needed to start a poultry business can be removed by starting small-scale farming, making it accessible to smallholder farmers and providing employment opportunities in rural areas. Farm helps could be employed and also learn the skill in the process thereby reducing the rate of unemployment.
Investing in poultry farming can also help diversifying the income stream of farmers, reducing their reliance on a single source of income. My friend whose model I would be using is a facility manager. He is an average income earner and now that he has an established farm, he is only looking at expanding it which also means more income. His expertise made it possible for the farm to record little or no loss of birds.
May I use this medium to also inform you that I am already into pepper and tomato farming but it is for subsistence consumption. I found farming fun and in the process, I am earning a living.