Assessment of Commercial Smallholder Egg Production Systems in Greater Port Harcourt City, Nigeria

Commercial smallholder egg production systems in Greater Port Harcourt City were assessed for problems and opportunities to intervene. Desk study, survey of 94 farmers using semi-structured questionnaires and focus group discussion with eight farmers were carried out. Commercial smallholder farmers with maximum of 2,500 layers were purposively sampled. Subjects were selected using snowballing sampling technique. Three local government areas (Obio-Akpor, Oyigbo and Etche) of the eight in Greater Port Harcourt City were surveyed. Quantitative data was analyzed using descriptive statistics in Statistical Package for Social Sciences while matrices were used to analyze focus group discussion data. Results show low participation of youths in commercial smallholder egg production. All farmers attained some level of education. Majority (50%) had Bachelor’s degrees, hence, potential for innovation adoption. Farmers were motivated by self-employment (68%) and extra income (32%) to produce eggs. Average flock size (1100) was low and inadequate to meet egg demand. Farms were mainly (91%) self-financed, thus confirming weak support for farmers by banks and government. No farm activity was automated except watering (21%). Though all farms use some form of electricity, most (70%) depended on electricity generators, which increased production costs. Majority (94%) of farmers use commercial compound feed. Most (59%) bought their feed through middlemen while others (41%) buy direct from feed manufacturing companies to gain 15% margin. Similarly, 62% bought day-old-chicks through day-old-chicks distributors while 38% procure direct from hatcheries to gain 21% margin. To improve profits, farmers should form egg producers’ cooperatives to enhance bulk input purchases, and reduce costs.

Keywords:

Motivation, Farming systems Feed,

PDF

___

Adene DF, Oguntade AE. 2008. Nigeria: Poultry sector country review, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Agwu MO, Emeti CI. 2014. Issues, challenges and prospects of small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs) in Port Harcourt City, Nigeria. European J Sustainable Develop, 3 (1): 101-114.
Aromolaran AK, Ademiluyi IO, Itebu JO. 2013. Challenges of Small poultry farms in layer production in Ibadan,Oyo State Nigeria. Global Journal of Science Frontier Research: Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 13 (2): 4-11.
Basnet J. 2015. A viable future: Attracting the youth to agriculture. AFA Issue Paper, Vol 7 No. 1, June, 7 (1): 1-12.
Behera UK, Sharma AR. 2007. Modern Concepts of Agriculture: Farming Systems. (2nd ed.), New Delhi.
Bose AA, Abba IY, Madaki MJ, Obute OL. 2015. Analysis of poultry (layers) enterprises in Igabi Local Government Area, Kaduna State Nigeria. IOSR Journal of Agriculture and Veterinary Science, 8 (4): 43-49.
Clapp J. 2015. Food Security and International Trade: Unpacking Disputed Narratives, (1st ed.), Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations, Rome, p.23-45.
Dixon J, Gulliver A, Gibbon D. (2001). Farming Systems and Poverty: Improving Farmers' Livelihoods in a Chainging World. Food and Agriculture Organization and World Bank, Rome and Washington DC, p. 23.
Ede PN, Owei OB, Akarolo CI. 2011. Does the Greater Port Harcourt Master Plan 2008 meet aspirations for liveable city?. Wuhan, International Society and Regional Planners (ISOCARP).
Emokaro CO, Erhabor PO. 2014. Comparative analysis of profitability of layers production in Esan North East and Ovia Northeast Local Government Areas of Edo State, Nigeria. Journal of Applied Science and Environmental Management, 18 (1): 121-126.
Ezedinma C, Chukuezi C. 1999. A comparative analysis of urban agricultural enterprises in Lagos and Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Environment and Urbanization, 11 (2): 135-144.
Garrity D, Dixon J, Boffa JM. 2012. Understanding African Farming Systems: Science and Policy Implications.Food Security in Africa: Bridging Research and Practice, Sydney.
Ibitoye SJ. 2011. Attitude of youths towards career in agriculture in Kogi State, Nigeria. International Journal of Applied Engineering Research, 6 (14): 1683-1693.
Iheke RO, Nwaru JC. 2013. Innovation adoption, farm productivity and poverty status of rural smallholder households in South-Eastern Nigeria. Hammamet, Tunisia, African Association of Agricultural Economists.
KIT, FAIDA, IIRR. 2010. Chain empowerment: Supporting African Farmers to Development Markets, (Reprint ed), KIT Publishers, Amsterdam, p. 78-90.
NBS, FMYD. 2012. National Baseline Youth Survey (revised ed.), National Bureau of Statistics and Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Abuja, p 23-28.
Oladukun VO, Johnson A. 2012. Feed formulation problem in Nigerian poultry farms: A mathematical programming approach. American Journal of Scientific and Industrial Research, 3 (1): 14-20.
Pagani P, Abimiku JEY, Emeka-Okolie W. 2008. Assessment of the Nigerian Poultry Market Chain to Improve Biosecurity (1st ed.), Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, p. 56. Singh K, Bohra JS, Singh Y, Singh, JP. 2006. Development of farming system models for the northeastern plain zone of Uttar Pradesh. Indian Farming, 56 (7): 5-11.