₦airaland Forum

Industry Comm Udechukwu seeks coalition of Cooperative Societies for sustainable Agric Dev in Anambra

By Amaka Isikala/Ebele Iyke Odili

The Commissioner for Industry, Anambra State, Mr Christian Udechukwu has advocated for a coalition of cooperatives societies to enhance sustainable agricultural development in the state

This is in a bid to champion food propagation in order to curb food insufficiency and reduce hike in prices of agricultural products as well as enhance wealth creation for sustainable development of individuals and the society.

He said, "the governor has launched a programme that was exceptionally designed to enable citizens assume responsibility of their own food production".

Mr Udechukwu stated this in Awka during an empowerment training for fish, chicken, pig and all poultry farmers organized by Active Citizens Movement in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry.

The commissioner reiterated Governor Chukwuma Soludo’s commitment towards ensuring a sustainable healthy living of the citizens as well as establishing a structured and effective ease of doing business through the Anambra State Small Business Agency (ASBA) and the Bank of Industry (BOI).

“Governor Soludo is always advocating Public Private Community partnerships because he believes that there are things which the government can do, things which the private citizens can do and things the community can do for unified interest and this event falls in harmony with the policy of the government.

“We adopt policies, principles and frameworks that are solution oriented and the audience here are those the governor would love because you are not seated at home complaining about the hike in price of things rather you are actively engaged in finding solutions to your agricultural needs.

“Mr Governor is not relenting on helping farmers to be productive and successful, it is the reason we have shared out 2 million palm oil seedlings that has reached over a hundred and fifty thousand families.

"The Governor gave those palm seedlings out as a deliberate strategy to combat poverty because families and communities that have received it will begin to aggregate palm oil and palm kennels to earn a living."

Mr Udechukwu commended the convener describing him as a truly responsible citizen who is deliberately and intentionally caring about the society with his wealth of knowledge for sustainable development of individuals and the society.

The Founder and the convener of Active Citizens Movement, Dr Chidi Kanu in his presentation titled "Unleashing the Power of Black Soldier Fly: A Sustainable Protein Solution for Livestock Feeding," explained that the practice is an innovation approach which is using black soldier fly (maggots) as a protein source for livestock.

According to him, the practice is gaining momentum due to its sustainable benefits and to cushion the effect of high price of livestock feed.

“The larvae are particularly efficient at breaking down organic matter, making them a promising solution for waste management and sustainable agricultural feed.”

Mr Kanu noted that the flies have several benefits which include protein, saying that the larvae are rich in protein, making them a great alternative to traditional feed sources like soy and fish meal.

"They can consume a wide range of organic waste reducing the amount of waste sent to landfills and circular economy, the flies promote a circular economy by converting wastes into valuable resources.

“Implementing black soldier fly farming involve setting up controlled environment for flies to thrive, feeding them with organic waste and harvesting the larvae for use as animal feed.”

He enjoined farmers, cooperatives and individuals to partner with waste providers for sustainable healthy living of their livestocks for accelerated wealth creation.

Lady Anthonia Njideka, a cooperator said that a coalition of cooperatives is a powerful way to promote sustainable practices like black soldier fly farming through working together, noting that cooperatives can share resources, expertise and risks while also increasing their market influence and negotiating power.###