by crossriverwatch admin
Mr. Maurice Effiom Effiwat the Director of Livestock, Cross River State Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources has explained how the State Government intends to promote commercial livestock farming.
Speaking with our reporter in his office recently, Mr. Effiwat explains that the State Government intends to promote commercial livestock farming in the state by not being involve in direct production and by seeking private partnership to inject capital into the sector.
He said, “In 2007 the Government conceived the idea providing a panacea to the perils of commercial livestock farming and reduce the troubles of purchasing new chicks as farmers from the state travel as far as to the west just to buy chicks and as a result of the long distance involved one experiences huge losses resulting from death of some chicks and high market price.
“As a result of this, a hatchery was prepared at Ikot Effanga Mkpa, Akpabuyo, between 2008 and 2009. It was equipped with a new feed milling plant, incubator, standard electricity supply, motorized bore-hole and out of four poultry houses two were renovated to meet the goal of producing a day old chick for local farmers within the state regularly and at cheap prices.”
The Director said that certain challenges were observed which made the Government to partner with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), “the cost of hatching over 50 chicks per month made the State Government to sign a memorandum of understanding with NDDC in January 2010 and by October, the same year they gave us 1.6 million naira.”
Furthermore he asserted that, “since government policies do change, in 2011 Cross River State Government decided to change its policy from being directly/solely involved in production but privatizing the sector for better productivity.”
He added that, “this doesn’t mean that the government is completely out of production but has involved and is still seeking for private sector investors that are willing to invest their knowledge, time and money in livestock commercial farming. Maintaining that the partnership with NDDC is still on as the Commission is counting on the state government to find reliable investors.
“This applies to all livestock farms across the state; Ikom, Obudu, Ikot Effanga Mkpa and Ogoja.”
follow us on twitter @crossriverwatch
Leave feedback about this