Agriculture,
though largely under-developed, is the most important sector to the Nigerian
economy after oil of which animal production is a very crucial part. Crop and
animal Agriculture should be combined together for best results in the economy.
Nigerian has
had and still
has very laudable
agricultural policies and
schemes on paper
but yet implementation is a
challenge and hunger has persisted in the country for many years and food
security has not been guaranteed.
Production
is very essential to food security and the development of any nation. It
provides:
1.
Foreign exchange for the economy
2.
Employment for the citizens
3.
Rich source of protein which is essential for human nutrition
4.
It is a source of prestige
5.
Provides income for the citizens
6.
Provides drought Power
7.
Transportation
8.
Provides raw materials for the clothing and shoe industry and by-products can
be used in various other industries such as the cosmetic industry.
Animal
products are responsible for one-sixth of the human food energy and also more
than one-third of the protein requirement on a global basis.
Animal
production trends are said to be influenced by strong demand-driven factors
such as population growth, urbanization, income growth and changing customer
services which are of two categories:
1.
Modern demand driven and capital intensive non-ruminant (swine and birds)
sector
2.
Traditional resource-driven and labour intensive ruminant (cattle, sheep and
goats) sector.
Nigeria
has 36 states and is the most populous country in Africa with a population of
about 170 million as of 2012 (Population 2012) with over 70% of the population
living on less than a dollar a day.
By
the year
2050 the projected population will be 402
million making Nigeria the 4th
most populous country on earth after India, China and the United States
(Population 2012).
With
a fast growing population Nigeria is threatened with the problem of food
insecurity and poverty which can be addressed with a more developed animal
production sector in addition to other sectors.
The average Nigerian
still consumes far
less animal protein
than his counterpart in the developed world because the
animal production industry is still in its infancy due to hydra-headed problems
and the per capita income is low leading to a consumption of less than 9grams
of animal protein per capita per day as compared to over 50 grams per capita
per day in North America and Europe.
Some
countries even in the developing world are already considering novel approaches
to meat production such as in-vitro meat production but in Nigeria animal
production is facing numerous challenges with certain factors militating
against successful animal production.
In
this article, we will scrutinize 14 major factors affecting animal production
in Nigeria
14 Main factors Affecting Animal Production in Nigeria
The
following are the major factors Affecting Animal Production in Nigeria:
1.
Lack of capital
2.
High cost of animal feeds
3.
Animal Diseases
4.
Access to veterinary services-Vaccines and drugs
5.
High Level of illiteracy among farmers
6.
The role of the government
7.
Urbanization
8.
Market and storage facilities
9.
Insufficient Extension services
10.
Insufficient manpower
11.
Inadequate Transportation service
12.
Inadequate basic infrastructure
13.
Climatic and environmental factors
14.
Attitude to animal production
Let us explain in details one after
another.
1. Lack of capital: One of the most crucial factors of
production known to man is capital. Capital is needed to set up an animal
production and processing farm and capital is needed to sustain productivity.
One of the major constraints of the animal industry especially in developing
countries like Nigeria is capital.
Financial
inadequacies have led to slow growing animal industries or moribund ones or
even destroyed animal production industries. Low income earners who dominate
the animal industry are not able to cope with the demands of the industry
especially when production is not at its optimum level.
Apart
from the poultry industry most of the animal production activities in Nigeria
are concentrated in the northern part of the country which has an even lower
income power than the southern part.
This
implies that farmers are not able to afford a lot of infrastructural and other
facilities that they need for maximum productivity. To worsen matters loan
facilities are hardly available and where they are available there are lots of
bottle-necks and constraints to accessing such loans. Many of the farmers involved
in animal production have to find other sources of income to better the quality
of life of their families.
In
a study in Kwara State of Nigeria
it was discovered that
in farming families the
prevalence of child stunting underweight and wasting was lower in
families with off-farm income than the families who did not have.
2. High cost of animal feeds: Nutritious animal feeds are
essential for full development and productivity of animals. Animal feeds are not
readily available and where they are they are not easily affordable for an average farmer.
Since
farmers go into animal production for profit they need to obtain feed at a
price where they do not only break-even: but also make reasonable profit.
Perhaps the livestock industry of ruminants does not feel the impact as much as
the poultry industry which is mostly intensive in nature requiring constant
supply of feeds for maximum
productivity unlike the livestock which can still be fed on pastures and forage or allowed to scavenge for food.
Due
to the high cost of feeds various research alternatives have been sought for
other means of providing animal feeds to ameliorate the effects of cost of feed
such as the use of activated sludge.
Many
livestock and poultry farmers compound their own feed themselves for their farm
animals but they face the challenges of raw materials for compounding the feed
which may be very expensive or unavailable.
3. Animal Diseases: Livestock diseases remain a
veritable threat to the animal production industry. Animal products are
constantly under threat by diseases that affect livestock and hence reduce
productivity.
Endemic
animal diseases such as Helminthosis, Contagious Bovine Pleuropneumonia (CBPP),
brucellosis, mastitis, peste des petits ruminants (PPR), and many others have
devastating impacts upon the animal industry
leading to losses
in hundreds of
millions of dollars
every year in
developing economies like Nigeria. Brucellosis alone in sheep and goats
of Borno and Yobe states of Nigeria is estimated to cost the economy USD 3.2
million annually.
The poultry industry is even more devastated by viral infections such as Newcastle disease and Infectious bursal disease (Gumboru) in spite of several attempts at vaccinations. Some of the reasons for these may be vaccine failure and the involvement of quacks in fighting these endemic animal diseases in the country.
4. Access to veterinary
services-Vaccines and drugs: Most animal production
activities are located
in rural areas
or remote areas
inaccessible to proper veterinary services and many that
are accessible find the high cost
of veterinary services prohibitive.
Hence
they resort to easily available quacks that wreak havoc on the animal industry
by using expired vaccines, fake drugs and wrong prescriptions for treating
diseases. Sub-standard and all manner of low quality drugs and vaccines are in
the market now and can easily be purchased and used by practically almost. In order
to have a viable and good animal production system in the country the
government should subsidize veterinary services to farmers.
5. High level of illiteracy among
farmers: It is a
well-known fact that most farmers have a low level of education or are even
illiterates making it difficult for them
to employ modern animal production techniques
where traditional techniques have
failed or yielded
less profit.
A study
carried out in Osun
state has found
that education level had significant
and positive relationship with average production. This means the higher the
educational level of farmers the
higher the productivity of
their farms.
Therefore,
farms managed by educated entrepreneurs will perform better than those managed
by illiterates. It will be a good idea and for the development of the animal
production to have more graduates encouraged into animal production to develop
the sector. Such graduates will bring in modern animal production methods that
guarantee food security in the country and the development of animal
production.
6. The role of the government: The failed policies of the government
are most of the times inimical to the progress of the animal industry.
Sometimes politicians ban the importation of goods not readily available in the
country in an attempt to help home grown industries but without providing
viable alternatives.
An
example is the shortage of feeds
and sky-rocketing high
prices due to
scarcity of soya cake in the country. The government has
tried loan schemes and policies through mainly banks for decades right from the
1970s but this has often
met with failure due
to many factors
bordering on proper implementation over the years.
Good
loans for maximum animal productivity are lacking and access roads are not
there to facilitate smooth movement of animal products from farm to fork. The
poultry industry sometimes suffers from egg glut and the government can help by
mopping up eggs to prevent egg glut as happens in some developed economies such
as the United States and the United Kingdom where such eggs can be given to schools
as part of the school food program but in Nigeria such government incentives
are rare and individual farmers are left to suffer losses for no fault of theirs.
In
the developed world farmers and animal industry workers have access to modern
technology such as telecommunication facilities and affordable internet.
This
helps in addressing emergencies on the farm such as giving an emergency call to
a veterinarian to visit the farm or advertising their animal products online to
reach a world-wide market.
Science
and technology are very crucial to national development in all facets and must
be employed for development. The Nigerian government seems to be heading in
this direction with the recent initiative to buy ten million hand phones for
farmers to boost their production
and communication capacity
with the world
outside their.
Government
can also help more in the area of transportation because most farmers are low
income earners they are not able to afford modern means of transport and have
to rely on traditional methods or inefficient and unorganized public
transportation to convey for example animals meant for slaughter and human
consumption.
Transportation
is also very important in connecting the rural to the urban areas. Another
important area where the government has failed is the area of security.
In
recent years animal production investors especially poultry farmers have lost
large sums of money due to inability to sell their products due to the threat
of terrorist attacks in the country.
Insecurity
in the country is inimical to the development of the animal production and
other industries and a threat to the national economy which must not be taken
lately as it has the potential to ground the whole economy. In the midst of
such circumstances government can help farmers by providing alternatives
outlets for their products such as buying off eggs and using them as food
programs in schools in parts of the country not affected by the conflict.
Also read: Brief Historical Development and Roles of Animal Production in Nigeria
7. Urbanization: There is
rapid urbanization in
many developing countries
which comes at
a high price
to animal productivity due to
neglect of animal farming as a result of mass rural-urban drift for better
standards of living and yet increased demand for animal products is the order
of the day.
A
study has shown that from the year 1961 to 2001 there has been a dramatic
increase in the consumption of meat in developing countries due to urbanization
and industrialization.
This
urbanization is usually associated with higher income which increases the purchasing
power of individuals leading to higher demands for better quality food which
entails a good amount of animal protein in the food unlike
the normal rural
food which has
less animal protein
and more carbohydrate
and fats.
Urbanization also leads to constraints of space due to overcrowding arising from population explosion in the cities. This implies that there will be less opportunity for animal production as emphasis shifts to rapid industrialization.
Nigerian
cities like Lagos consume a lot of meat mainly
brought from some northern parts of the
country like Borno state which accounts
for about a quarter of all ruminant livestock population
in the to provide the animal protein
need of a city with a
population of more than 12
million people.
8. Market and storage facilities: Market for animal products is
crucial for the sustainability of the industry. The animal production market is
poorly organized and often farmers lose instead of making profit because most
animal products are perishable goods that expire within a short period of time.
A
rapidly developing country like China has over the years rapidly developed its
animal production industry leading to a meat industry revolution with international
processing and storage facilities good enough for local consumption of a large
population and export which is a contrast to the situation in Nigeria with the
largest population in Africa and significant animal population but the market
and storage facilities are still mostly primitive.
To
encourage maximum animal productivity there should be provision for storage of
animal products in deep freezers and other storage facilities that are now been
used with technological advancement.
Employing
modern methods of meat preservation will help Nigeria to grow its animal
production to be able to take part in international trade and better the
economy of the nation.
9. Insufficient Extension services: Extension services are crucial in promoting good agricultural and farming practices among our animal industry stakeholders. The livestock industry can produce more than it is doing currently if the farmers are well enlightened on certain aspects of production.
A good number of Nigerian Universities and other institutions offer courses on
Agricultural extension services but the number of graduates each year that end up in the actual profession of
Agricultural extension are still grossly inadequate compared with the population involved in farming and the
locations of those they are supposed to service.
Extension
workers provide technical advice to farmers on techniques for maximum
productivity and advise on market related matters with the ultimate aim of
ensuring the farmers succeed in their chosen vocation and contribute meaningfully
to the economy of the nation.
Well
trained extension service workers could be deployed to help train farmers in remote
locations and get answers to their questions. This training could be
strategically positioned at farmers who command a lot of market and
followership who will in turn influence other farmers.
Unfortunately
in Nigeria the number of qualified agricultural extension workers is grossly
inadequate to make meaningful impact on the economy of a nation with a large
population like Nigeria.
In
some remote areas such extension services are lacking completely and farmers
are left to use their traditional knowledge to improve animal productivity. One
of the greatest challenges of extension services in Nigeria in spite of the
intervention of a World Bank assisted project is the ability to secure the commitment
of government and mobilizing local funds to sustain the service.
10. Insufficient manpower: There is a short supply of,
especially, skilled labour in the animal production industry in Nigeria for example
in some quarters one man does the work of many people leading to inefficiency
in productivity. This is a point for major concern because of the potentials of
a nation of over 170 million people (Population 2012).
If
more people are encouraged to go into animal production like in China Nigeria
will have adequate manpower involved in animal production. There is inadequate
labour supply in the country and many times farmers have to hire temporary
workers or forfeit it at the detriment of their farms due to costs.
It
is gratifying to note that women like their men counterparts are actively
involved in animal production in Nigeria. But in spite of all these the
manpower is still inadequate for the industry and for sustainable animal
production.
11. Inadequate Transportation
service: Transportation
is very important to the industry. Lack of access roads to farms and from farms
to the market hampers the development of the animal production industry. The
movement of animal products from production to consumption points requires good
transport networks that do either not exist or in very bad shape in the
Nigerian context.
Many
of the methods used in Nigeria for transporting ruminants from the north to the
south of the country go against standard animal welfare procedures for the
safety and welfare of the animals because most times the animals are under
undue stress as they are overcrowded in trailers for mass transport making them
sustained traumatic injuries and stress that affects their health and
productivity.
There
is a need to improve on these transport systems for maximum animal production
because good transport is essential for food security.
12. Inadequate basic infrastructure:
Many African countries have problems
with infrastructure for animal production and Nigeria is not an exception.
There is generally a lack of proper mechanized animal farming using modern infrastructure
such as improved milking machines that could reduce the incidence of diseases
like mastitis and good animal houses to help productivity of the animals by
focusing on intensive farming instead of
allowing small ruminants for
example, to roam about scavenging for food
and the large ruminants invading
crop farms in the community and destroying harvests meant for human consumption
an issue which has often been a source of communal conflicts.
There
is also the perennial problem of electricity supply in Nigeria which is a major
setback for the livestock industry. It means meat has to be prepared for
consumption immediately after slaughter or additional costs of utilizing
generating plants to store the meat will be incurred. Water supply is also
inadequate even though it is very essential to have water always for maximum
animal productivity.
13. Climatic and environmental
factors: Certain
climatic factors are natural and some are man-made due to human activities but
affect animal production. In the northern part of Nigeria desert encroachment
is already a major environmental problem.
Animals
are an important part of the renewable energy for the country which is
beneficial to the environmental but with human activities such as deforestation
this potential is diminished as animal production is affected. One of the reasons
for constant deforestation is the failure of the government to provide
alternative reliable sources of fuel for the people.
As
the desert encroaches in the northern part of the country the nomadic Fulani
who are the main custodians of cattle in Nigeria are forced to keep migrating
southwards in search of
pasture for their
cattle and expose
their animals to
diseases of the
rainforest such as Trypanosomosis which
will affect productivity
of the animals.
The constant
movement of the nomadic Fulani
in search of
pasture because of traditional animal production systems
inherited over centuries also makes disease control difficult.
Some
natural disasters like flood affect agricultural produce and animal production.
Sometimes many animals as well as humans are killed by these natural disasters
in addition to losses suffered by survivors in different forms.
14. Attitude to animal production: People’s attitude to animal
husbandry and production is very poor. Some young people in Nigeria think animal
production is only for the elderly or sometimes retired government staff but
youths are known to do very well in animal production when they diligently go
into it.
Some
believe that animal production is for illiterates or the jobless in the society
unlike what is obtained in developed economies where the wealthy and educated
are leading the way in animal farming with animal farm empires. When the
attitude of the people is wrong one can only expect a decline in the rise of
the animal production industry. Attitudinal change is a sine qua non for
improved animal productivity in Nigeria.
One of the ways the citizens’ attitude can be improved is by strategically organized seminars and workshops targeting different echelons of the society by the department of veterinary services and the federal livestock departments at various levels.
When people are properly informed they will see the great potentials
in this sector and will invest more in animal production leading to the rapid
development and expansion of the industry in the country.
Conclusion on 14 Major Factors Affecting Animal Production in Nigeria
The
development of the Nigerian animal production industry is of serious importance
from the socio-economic and public health point of view.
From
the socio-economic perspective it will empower the employees and employers of
the animal industry in the nation and raise their purchasing power thereby improving
the national economy.
From the
public health perspective
a good animal
industry will eliminate the
threats of infectious diseases that are particularly zoonotic in nature thereby
guaranteeing public health.
In order to achieve all these militating factors must be addressed at all stages and levels by entrepreneurs, the government and the entire national community. Addressing these factors will guarantee a better economy and food security for the citizenry.
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