Nigeria should support pig production through use of modern technology, says industry expert, noting pig volumes have decreased in recent years because of lack of innovative approaches; pig industry hindered by higher, more unstable food costs

Allison Oesterle

December 27, 2013 (Nation (Pakistan)) – The Federal Government has been urged to support pig production through use of modern technologies.

The publisher,Food Farm News, Mr Ayeni Oladehinde said in a statement that because of the lack of innovative approaches to animal nutrition in the pig market, volumes have decreased in recent years.

He said the nation’s pig industry has slaughtered fewer animals, due largely in part to higher, more unstable feed costs.

The decrease, he maintainned can be partially explained by unexpectedly large increases on soyabean and grain prices, while pork prices only enjoyed a slight boost during the same period.

According to him, the government can boost productivity in the industry by increasing investment in finishing facilities - farms where young pigs are kept until they reach market weight.

He called on the government to improve fortunes in the industry through the Agricultural Transformation Agenda (ATA) programme, adding that there is greater potential for wealth-creation and employment-generation, if Nigerians are made to explore the opportunities across the value chain.

He said the nation needed to harness its potential, scrap old production systems that had an adverse impact on the environment and develop faster and more flexible processing of environmental and building applications.

He called for investment to improve the social and economic well-being of approximately farmers across the country, adding that the level of pork production, could led to increase significantly as a result of the investment.

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