Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
A group, Animal Science Association of Nigeria (ASAN), Edo chapter, at the weekend distributed 60 poultry birds and six bags of 50kg of feeds to six vulnerable poor farmers in Edo as part of its effort to guarantee nutrition and food security in the state.
Presenting the birds and feeds to the farmers, the state chairman of ASAN, Peter Aikhuomobhgbe, said the the gesture was part of activities to mark the one year inauguration anniversary of the Edo chapter of the association.
Aikhuomobhgbe noted that each of the beneficiary would get 10 birds and a bag of 50kg feed for them to engage in homestead poultry farming.
“What we are doing is to encourage everybody to have at least 10 to 20 poultry birds at the back of their houses. It will help you during festivities when you would need them.
“I want to thank everyone for supporting the EXCO for the past one year. We have achieved a lot within this period.
“We have tried to unite members, carried out training Programmes for meat handlers in the state and we have also inaugurated Edo North and South chapters of the association.
“Today, we inaugurating Edo South 11 and shortly, we shall also be inaugurating the Edo central chapter of the association.
“The essence is to organize all animals science professionals in Edo state to be proactively involve in issues affecting the profession and to ensure good animal husbandry ethics,” he said.
The Chairman also announced that a committee have been put in place to come up with a working document to drive the activities of the association.
Aikhuomobhgbe promised to establish an enterprise of any kind that would generate resources for the association.
He also promised to liaise with the Edo government with a view to ensure that members of the association at the local government level benefited from the new salary scale in the state.
Mr Kingsley Imasuen, the state chairman of poultry farmers, thanked the chairman and members of the association for the kind gesture and called on well-meaning Nigerians to continue to support farmers in the state.
Mrs Joy Ugwu, one of the beneficiaries who also appreciated the association, said the support would go a long way for them and their families.
According to Ugwu, it is not the quality that matters but the love you have for the poor.we will not take that love for granted.
Highpoints of the event was the distribution of the poultry birds and feeds to the beneficiaries and the inauguration of the Edo South 11 chapter of the association on the sideline of the anniversary ceremony