55,500 AADS Capacity Poultry Cluster Takes Off In Abia

A55,500 bird capacity Ultra Modern Poultry Cluster, under the Accelerated Agricultural Development Scheme (AADS) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), has taken-off at Umuosu –Nsulu, in Isiala Ngwa North Local Government Area of Abia State.

Built on 3.5 hectares of land, the poultry comprises an administrative building, with three training halls, 26 office rooms, self-contained rooms to house trainees, 69 Poultry Pens with 55,500 capacity birds and residential quarters. Speaking during the commissioning, the state Governor, Dr. Okezie Ikpeazu said the cluster provides virtually everything needed for poultry farmers, from training, feed production, poultry production and provision of market. He added that poultry feed produced in the cluster has been subsidised at N2, 000 per bag to farmers” He said government decided to toe the path because of the need for farmers to understand the rudiments of poultry farming, to be successful in the business. He urged Abians, especially the youths to embrace poultry farming, describing it as a viable empowerment tool.

Representative of the CBN, Mr. Camilus Ogbuagu, who lauded the state for being the first in the country to key into the scheme, assured that the bank would sustain the partnership with a view to ensuring that the project achieves its goals.

The state Commissioner for Agriculture, Prof. Ikechi Mgbeoji, said the Cluster project would bring about a quantum leap in poultry production in the state, create employment and generate wealth, both for the people and government. In his remarks, the State AADS Project Manager, Mr. Igwe Nomso Ogbunamiri who commended the governor for partnering them in the project, said apart from the poultry clusters to be established across the three senatorial zones, approval has already been given for the establishment of 25 capacity poultry clusters in the 17 council areas, in addition to setting up poultry processing plants to mop up all birds produced in the state.