The National Agricultural Land Development Authority has said a total of 30,000 birds have been supplied to its poultry farm estate in Dasamu Village, Jakusko Local Government Area of Yobe State.
The farm is expected to produce hatchable eggs that will not only serve the state but other intended farmers in neighbouring states.
The Executive Secretary, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne, after inspecting the ongoing construction work at the 10-hectare farm, told journalists that the hatchery would provide the needed push to get thousands of farmers into the poultry production in addition to supporting other farms with chicks.
“This farm is purely poultry for egg production. We have 30,000 birds already in store.
“The type of eggs we will be producing here will be reproductive eggs. Not the types that you just consume.
“These ones will go into the incubator for the reproduction of other birds. That is the advantage of this poultry farm.
“We are bringing eight incubators like what we have in Daura, Katsina State.
“The incubators will be used to hatch our eggs, as well as for us to keep reproducing and to feed other farms from this place, including farms that are within and outside the state.”
Prince Ikonne said President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered the agency to set up the poultry farm to engage youths in the community.
“So our intention based on the President’s directive is to engage the community because this project is community-based. It belongs to this community,” Ikonne stated.
“NALDA’s intention is to empower these youths and encourage them to go into agriculture and at the end of the day, we will also produce chicken for meat.
“We are looking at engaging 150 youths from within this community and they will be trained on how to not only manage the birds but will also receive training on other farm practices in animal production.”
Speaking on other aspects of the farm estate, he explained that the facility would also have segments for rearing goats.
“We are bringing in the goat pen, which makes it more inclusive because we are also using here for rearing a particular species of goat.
“This is in order to reproduce that species in this location and the youths will be engaged in doing that.
“So this is a farm estate because at the end of the day you will have a finished products department, as well as egg and goat production sections,” the ES said.
Ikonne further noted that NALDA had rice farms in two other locations in the state, adding that the tractors deployed for the farms were also being used to support farmers across the local government area.
Also speaking, the Manager, Dasamu Farm Estate, Haruna Gambo, said that youth in the communities volunteering to work in the facility as residents of the community had pledged to ensure the sustainability of the estate.
Gambo said the farm has started engaging youths in the community, adding that, “We now have volunteers who assist in managing the birds.
“About 30,000 birds have been moved to the site. The community has also assured us of the sustainability of this project.”
