…the livestock feeding Solution Summit was a training empowerment for farmers.
AWKA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | Anambra farmers have been trained on the production of Black Soldier Fly Larvae (Maggots) as a potent protein solution for livestock feeding.
Organised by Active Citizens Movement in collaboration with Ministry of Industry, the livestock feeding Solution Summit was a training empowerment for fish farmers, chicken, pig and all poultry farmers in the state.
Declaring the event open at Don Ritz Hotel Awka, the Commissioner for Industry, Mr Chirstian Udechukwu appreciated the convener Mr Chidi Kanu for being a responsible citizen of Anambra State who cares about using his wealth of knowledge for the development of the society.
“This is the kind of partnership and coalition that we need to create wealth in the society; akin to what governor actively advocates in matters of private-public-community partnership to govern the state. It is in line with the policy of government.
“Secondly, we adopt policies and principles that are solution-oriented, hence the gathering here today is finding solution to the agricultural needs in the society. Yes, the price of feed Mills are increasing, so Dr Chidi and partners brought solution to it
“Three, we have almost 20,000 cooperatives registered in Anambra State. This audience are truly active citizens. Your relationship with Active Citizens Movement will benefit you sustainably because the heart of the covener is helping you. Same applies to the governor. This is the reason we shared out two million palm oil seedlings to over 150,000 families in the state. Also, we planted 500,000 Cocoanut seedlings in the state. All these are in a coordinated efforts to fight poverty and ensure food sufficiency in the state.
“When I was growing up, my father who was a bicycle dealer in Nnewi then, had a whole farm market grown in our compound. We lack no food. But today, people have abandoned that livestyle and responsible living in agriculture. If every family should cultivate food they consume, we will have abundant food. We should go back to the agricultural way of life and collectively, we will have more food and curb food inflation.
“Why do we have so much land and it is not cultivated? Lagos is reclaiming land from the ocean while in Anambra, we are loosing land to erosion. When building your beautiful home, leave two portions for agriculture and not interlock everywhere, and be causing erosion all over Anambra. Anambra Govt will soon arrest defaulters,” Commissioner for Industry said.
Mr Udechukwu, who came with his entire management team, reiterated Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s commitment towards ensuring a sustainable healthy living of the citizens as well as establishing a structured and effective ease of doing business by establishing platforms through the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA) and the Bank of Industry (BOI) for farmers to borrow loans to grow their farming businesses.
“At ASBA, you can borrow money from zero to 10 million naira provided you get a guarantor while agreeing to payback in one year, two, three, four or five as it suits you.
“Secondly, we have another form in my ministry from Bank of Industry through Anambra State Government and we have a joint funding programme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SMEs). You can equally borrow from zero to #10m.
“After you have acquired this knowledge today and wants to grow your business, we are there to help you. This is why Anambra is number one in ease of doing business in Nigeria,” the Industry Commissioner concluded.
Speaking on the topic, “Unleashing the Power of Black Soldier Fly: A Sustainable Protein Solution for Livestock Feeding,” the Founder and the convener of Active Citizens Movement, Mr Lucky Chidi Kanu explained that the new innovation of using black soldier fly (maggots) is a protein source for livestock feeding.
According to him, the practice is gaining momentum due to its sustainable benefits and to cushion the effect of high price of livestock feed.
“The larvae are particularly efficient at breaking down organic matter, making them a promising solution for waste management and sustainable agricultural feed.”
Mr Kanu noted that the flies have several benefits which include protein, saying that the larvae are rich in protein, making them a great alternative to traditional livestock feed sources like soy and fish meal.
“They can consume a wide range of organic waste reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and circular economy, the flies promote a circular economy by converting wastes into valuable resources.
“Implementing black soldier fly farming involve setting up controlled environment for flies to thrive, feeding them with organic waste and harvesting the larvae for use as animal feed.”
Mr Kanu charged the particiants to venture into Black Soldier fly farming because of it’s economic importance. “Economically, its low startup costs, high return on investment, opportunities for youth and women and suitable for cooperatives.
“Unlike houseflies, BSF doesn’t bit or spread disease. Its larvae are nature’s clean up crew, consuming waste and converting it into useful biomass.
He further enjoined livestock farmers, cooperatives and individuals to partner with waste providers for sustainable healthy living of their livestocks for accelerated wealth creation.
Present at this training were the former Minister of Women Affairs, Iyom Josephine Anenih; Chairman of All Farmers Association in Anambra State, Leo Ukatu among others.
Some of the participants Mr Uche Obi of Uncle Winners Investment; Dr Nneka Mefor, a livestock producer and Mrs Chinyere Onwughalu promised to utilise the knowledge garnered in the training to better their lots.
