The Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN) and the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS) have sought an upward review of funding for research and development in the poultry and livestock industries to address issues of feed shortages, low breed potential, and management deficiencies.
This advocacy was made in a communiqué signed by members of the communiqué drafting committee, Professor Ibisime Etela (Chairman), Professor Olusegun Ojebiyi (Secretary), and Alhaji Ismaila Jibrin Bojude (Member), at the 11th ASAN-NIAS joint annual meeting and the 27th ASAN annual conference, held at the Zaranda International Hotel, Bauchi, Bauchi State.
ASAN and NIAS recommended several policies in the communiqué, including the promotion of organic livestock production to retard or prevent the rapid deterioration of pasture land and arable land for food crop production.
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The two bodies also recommended an increase in the adoption of agroforestry to sustain feed supplies and enhance afforestation, especially in the dryer parts of the country that are threatened by desertification, while also suggesting increased regional specialization across agro ecological zones in Nigeria, to reduce frequent livestock movements and incessant resource-based conflicts.
The communique concluded that a national animal identification and traceability system should be established to support poultry, livestock, and aquaculture research and development in ICT to foster climate smart animal agriculture and the security of stock.
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The Chairman of the occasion, Professor Suleiman Elias Bogoro, expressed appreciation for granting Bauchi the hosting rights for the 2022 ASAN-NIAS event, while noting the strategic position of Bauchi State within the livestock sector. He advocated for subsidies in livestock production to create the needed business environment for increased productivity.
The Special Guest of Honour, Governor of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed, represented by the Deputy Governor, Senator Baba Tela, disclosed that the state, as a livestock-friendly state, is making efforts to restore the livestock value chain for improved productivity and the availability of affordable meat.
