Representative of the Vice-Chancellor, the Dean, College of Environmental Resources Management (COLERM), Prof. Oladepo Adedire addressing participants during the Capacity Building Workshop on Broiler Production for selected Secondary School Students in Ogun State.
The Vice-Chancellor, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Professor Olusola Bandele Oyewole has said Broilers production has a number of advantages over other livestock farming as initial investment is a little lower than layers production.
Professor Oyewole made this assertion in his Keynote Address at the Opening Ceremony of a Capacity Building Workshop on Broiler Production for Selected Secondary School Students in Ogun State organized by AMREC.
The Vice-Chancellor who was represented by the Dean, College of Environmental Resources Management, COLERM, Professor Oladepo Adedire noted that the broiler production can be the main source of family income, gainful employment to farmers and their families throughout the year.
He stressed further that rearing period is shorter and more number of flocks can be taken in the same shed,adding that Broilers have high feed conversion efficiency i.e. faster return from investment and demand for broiler meat is more when compared to sheep/goat enterprise.
“This University, in a bid to impact the spirit of entrepreneurship in youths especially at the Secondary School level, has through AMREC incorporated Agriculture-in-Schools project into its programmes. The Agriculture-in-Schools project was floated about six years ago.
The goals of this project are to impact through training in practical skills and knowledge relevant to agricultural activities; develop positive attitudes towards manual labour thus encouraging self-reliance; make education relevant to culture; equip school leavers for job opportunities that are most likely to be available in the rural areas thereby reducing the rural urban drift in population, make fresh food available for schools’ canteens and finally; generate income for schools”, he added.
Professor Oyewole implored the State Ministries of Education and Agriculture to lend support to the University noble project especially animal husbandry which has been made one of the entrepreneurship subjects in secondary schools, adding that it will enable secondary school students to embrace entrepreneurship at an early age of their career.
Earlier in her welcome address, the Director AMREC, Professor (Mrs.) Carolyn Afolami stated that Broiler production is a component of agriculture which can be taken as a means of livelihood and it can also play significant roles in revitalizing our ‘mono’ economy.
She made it clear that the workshop is in tandem with the agenda of the Federal Ministries of Education and Agriculture to ensure that every senior secondary school graduate is well prepared for higher education and acquire the relevant functional trade/entrepreneurship skills needed for poverty eradication, job creation and wealth generation.
The Director, AMREC, implored State Ministries of Education and Agriculture to massively support the initiative of the Federal government through legislation of policies, as well as provision of fund and necessary infrastructures that will promote entrepreneurship among the youths.