The Abia State Agro Hub Vision – Poultry Cluster Initiative and Cassava Program

The Abia State Agro Hub Vision – Poultry Cluster Initiative and Cassava Program

Abia state, South East Nigeria has concluded plans to establish a grand agricultural initiative tagged Poultry Cluster Initiative. This is seconded by yet another laudable agro idea, the about to be launched Cassava Program. With both in view, Abia state will create a functional agricultural hub in the state. While the Poultry Cluster Initiative is targeted at the youths, the Cassava Program is targeted at rural women.

The Abia state Poultry Cluster Initiative according to the state governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu will be a decentralized investment with presence in the three [3] zones of the state. The initiative is targeted at making the state an egg hub independently. The initiative is coined around youth empowerment and enterprise in the state. Each of the clusters in each zone will be a well-built infrastructure housing bird rearing homes, veterinary extension services, well equipped druggry, water and electricity supply infrastructures with a tutorial Centre. As the state is putting finishing touches to this initiative, it coincided with the federal government massive egg production initiative which Abia state has been chosen as the pilot state in the South East region of the country.

Inside these clusters, exchange of ideas will be readily available to all participants. It is a known fact that poultry investment is knowledge intensive, thus the government will ensure that there is adequate provision of the right species of birds, most fitting animal feed, time structured feeding and multiples of other most needful inputs for existing and starter farmers to achieve optimum egg production.

According to the executive governor of Abia state, the Poultry Cluster Initiative is an answer to the challenges faced by poultry farmers in the state especially the youths. The finding that led to this noble idea opines that many young farmers in the state are interested in poultry investments but lack the indepth know-how to make good their desire due to the dynamism of the investment.

A look at the government white paper, the Abia state Poultry Cluster Initiative is to be driven by public participation. The government having provided the infrastructure, will also spearhead the knowledge input to run the investment at optimum and profit level. The youths participating in the initiative will be supported with cash advancement or donation of day old birds. If cash donation is given, the recipients must use the funds to purchase day old birds while those who got day old birds directly must proceed to rear them in the clusters. Via the Veterinary Extension services, the participants will be offered lectures on the pros and cons of poultry business. With their richly augmented knowledge, these young farmers will be equipped to map out plans and strategies each specie of bird to rear. Also other general management principles are to be offered at same place.

Abia state in her interest to make the initiative a positive one, a symbiosis has been worked out. While youths via the private engagement owns the investment, the government is standing by as a partner and overseer to the investment should there be any reason for the youth owner to be incapacitated to continue with the investment. The state will take over the daily running of the business over time until the youth is available. Expenses made are recorded and kept, thus at the point of sales, any government input will be deducted and the particular youth investor is handsomely rewarded from the proceeds of the business. All these are geared towards improving the knowledge base of the Abia youths in poultry business, sustaining the government initiative and creating an enabling environment for the envisaged egg hub in the state.

The sterling nature of the Abia Poultry Cluster Initiative has gotten a national attention. Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, the National President of Poultry Association of Nigeria [PAN] intimated the minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Chief Audu Ogbeh about it during the association’s recent visit to the minister. It could be recalled that poultry value chain has contributed about 25% of agro based GDP of the Nigerian economy which stood at an estimated worth of about N1.6 Trillion [$8.6billion] presently.

Following on the heels of the Poultry Cluster Initiative is the yet to be launched Cassava Programme. The ultimate idea behind the Cassava Programme of the state is to increase individual output of local farmers in the state thus that the would be excess on local consumption will dovetail into processed starch sold to companies as raw material. Independently one can adduce that the Cassava Programme of Abia state will make available enough for local consumption and more for industrial use.

The expected package of the Cassava Programme is totally different from that of poultry. As a large expanse of land will not be mapped out by the government with any extension services, the individual farmers in the state will be provided with high yield hybrid species of cassava to cultivate in their private farms. The governor opined that the cassava programme was designed based on the land tenure system in the state where individuals are small holders of farmlands. However, having advanced high yield species of cassava to the individual farmers, the government is standing by as an off taker of the excess. Protein A stems of cassava has been earmarked for the envisaged project. However, to be part of this noble project, the local farmers will register with governmental agency in-charge.

Towards the successful entry into the starch production by Abia state government, plans has been concluded to procure in few months’ time pieces of equipment for the starch production. In view of all these, the site for the Starch production has been slated for Ubani Ibeku. The agro industrial area in Ubani where Ubani Ibeku Modern Market is situated will house the said starch factory. 

It is envisaged that in few years today, Abia state via the Cassava Programme and Poultry Cluster Initiative would have developed an agro hub capable of supplying eggs to the South East Region of Nigeria and starch to numerous industries like pharmaceutical companies in the country. All these will create jobs for the teaming populace of the state.