The National Agricultural Land Development Authority, has commenced activities on its ten (10) hectares farm estate in Dasamu Village, in Jakusko Local Government Area of Yobe State with thirty thousand (30,000) birds and a target to engage one hundred and fifty (150) youths, in line with federal government’s efforts to end youth unemployment and restiveness.
Executive Secretary, NALDA, Prince Paul Ikonne and his team carried out an inspection of the facility where thirty thousand (30,000) day-old birds are already on ground as the date for commissioning of the farm estate has been set for September this year.
The developmental activities is ongoing on the facility as contractors, NALDA officials and some volunteers from the community were seen attending to the pens and the birds.
Ikonne explained that, the poultry segment which was purely for the production of eggs in commercial quantities, would serve not just the state but many parts of the northern region.
“This farm is purely poultry for egg production. 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,” he said.
According to Ikonne, President Muhammadu Buhari had ordered NALDA to make farming attractive to young Nigerians in order to create the much needed employment, adding that the facility in Yobe would boost the nation’s economy.
“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. 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,” he added.
Ikonne noted that, the farm is looking at engaging 150 youths from within the 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.
“After every period of harvest, maybe every one and half year, the layers will go out and another set of layers will come on-board.
“But the uniqueness of this farm is the production of reproductive eggs. We have 30,000 birds already in store,” he said.
Speaking on other aspects of the farm estate, he explained that the facility would have segments for rearing goats, as well as locations for cultivating crops.
“We are bringing in the goat pen, which makes it more inclusive, because we are also using here for rearing a particular specie of goat,” Ikonne said.
This is in order to reproduce that specie 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.
On his part, the Yobe State Farm Manager for NALDA, Haruna Gambo, said the facility had started receiving volunteers, while youths and other residents of the community had pledged to ensure the sustainability of the estate.
“We have started engaging youths in the community. We now have volunteers who assist in managing the birds. About 30,000 birds have been moved to site. The community has also assured us of the sustainability of this project,” Gambo stated.
