As a follow-up to the recent visit of the Management of the First Bite Foods Limited to FUNAAB, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole, accompanied by Principal Officers of the University toured the expansive, 16-Hectare farmland of the company.
The Vice-Chancellor’s delegation explored all sections of the Farms, from the Aquaculture, Feed Mill, Poultry Pen, Chicken to the Meat Processing Plants.
At the Aquaculture section, the Clarias species of catfish is being cultivated and it records an average weight of 1.1 Kg within five months.
The section is divided into the smoking section where the fishes are smoked for proper preservation.
At the Feed Mill, the Vice-Chancellor was happy to see a 2010 Aquaculture and Fisheries Management graduate of FUNAAB, Mr. Dotun Adekunmisin, as its Supervisor.
Mr. Adekunmisin gave a vivid description of the production process and capacity of the Feedmill.
Moments later, they proceeded to the Poultry Pen, where chickens were raised from day-old to maturity, in order to be processed at the Chicken Processing Plant.
The day old chicks were imported, so as to meet their immediate needs, as this is one of the areas where FBFL is seeking collaboration with FUNAAB to hatch new chicks and sell to FBFL. This however will make FBFL to stop its importation.
At the Chicken Processing Plant, the Vice-Chancellor and his entourage were thrilled with the level of mechanization in the Plant; From the slaughtering section to the area where feathers are removed and the dismembering, all done mechanically.
However, FBFL does not have a cattle farm but it has an understanding with some Abattoirs in Lagos and Ibadan, which supply according to needs.
For the collaboration to be realized, the Vice-Chancellor said it is a collective responsibility and determination, saying “let us all key into this vision to make FUNAAB great”.
On the Vice-Chancellor’s entourage was the Dean, College of Animal Science and Livestock Production (COLANIM), Professor Christian Ikeobi, who solicited for an excursion to be granted to the students, for more exposure in their chosen disciplines.
He added that COBFAS activities should also be integrated with visits to similar companies, to develop the entrepreneurial skills in the students.