Nigeria aims to increase egg production with NEGPRO scheme
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Targets 500,000 daily egg output
A new scheme, to boost egg production in Nigeria, named National Egg Production (NEGPRO) scheme has been set in motion by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD).
NEGPRO is an agriculture-based programme aimed at strengthening the country’s poultry farming and producing at least 500,000 table eggs daily for local consumption, export and processing into egg powder for use in the confectionery and pharmaceutical industry.
Speaking at the inauguration held in Lokoja, Kogi State, Vivian Ibe, the national poultry desk Officer, department of animal and husbandry services of the agriculture ministry, expressed optimism that the five-year programme would create awareness and significantly raise egg production across the country.
Ibe explained that the scheme would equally focus on stakeholders’ engagement towards piloting, facilitating and coordinating egg production, marketing and utilisation capacity of poultry products in Nigeria, adding that it would promote economic development, income, livestock and job opportunity in Nigeria.
Also speaking at the event, David Apeh, commissioner for agriculture, Kogi State, commended the federal government’s initiative for the establishment of the poultry-development scheme, as well as its selection of Kogi as one of the first states in the country to benefit from the programme.
Apeh, who was represented by Sani Abdulganiyu, permanent secretary in the ministry, stressed that the project would also boost the nation’s economy, food security and job creation for the unemployed youths in the state.
He encouraged farmers and agriculturists in the state to avail themselves of the opportunity to key into the scheme.
On their part, the state anchors of National Egg Production (NEGPRO) scheme and some poultry farmers across the local government areas of Kogi present at the inauguration, expressed their readiness to implement the programme in the state to attain a more sustainable egg production.