Temitope Odetola, the Manager of a privately-owned farm in Oko-Oba, Agege, Lagos, has urged the Federal Government to encourage foreign investors to set up livestock feed processing companies in Nigeria.
Odetola said that with such companies in place, Nigerian livestock producers would be able to cut the cost of production of livestock.
He also said that with standard feed processing plants in place, livestock producers would be able to not only process their products in line with best standards, but can export the same products to any part of the world.
“For the people that are into livestock production, 80 per cent of their cost of production goes into feeding the animals.
“The government should try to set up a company that will engage in producing the feeds so that the cost of production will reduce.
“That way, people can buy home-grown chicken instead of imported chicken.
“Everything we export is condemned by the white people because of the way we process our products; they say it is not up to standard.
“What I think government can do is to invite experts and entrepreneurs from abroad to set up livestock processing companies here in Nigeria.
“We will now enter into an agreement whereby they will now use their equipment to process the food we produce here in Nigeria and we will be able to export to any part of the world.
“That way, we will not have the challenge of quality control.’’
The manager said that livestock production was lucrative, urging the youth to take advantage of the vast entrepreneurial opportunities in farming.
Odetola said that many young people were unaware of the money they could make from farming, adding: “that is why they prefer to go for white collar jobs“.
According to him, farming is a vast area that can accommodate a large number of people that can help Nigeria achieve food security.
