Cross River partners poultry firm on school feeding programme

Cross River Government says it is partnering Akwa Prime Hatchery and Poultry Limited to establish farms in five locations for the National Home-Grown School Feeding Programme (HGSFP).

Mr Gabriel Okulaja, the Special Adviser to the Governor on HGSFP and State Desk Officer, disclosed this in Calabar on Monday, while giving an update on the implementation of the programme in the state.

Okulaja said this was in line with the local content policy of the programme, stressing that most eggs and chicken currently used by vendors, were brought from outside the state.

‘‘In order to meet the local content policy of the programme, we have commenced partnership with Akwa Prime to set up farms in five locations in the three senatorial districts of the state.

‘‘Our target is to raise 100,000 broilers between now and July from these locations, so that we can produce eggs and birds for the programme.

‘‘Already, the one in Calabar is set to begin production with 30, 000 birds with Akwa prime having cleared the location. Other locations include Akpabuyo, Ikom, Ogoja and Obudu.”

The special adviser added that the programme had begun to achieve results, especially in the area of increased school pupils’ enrolment.

‘‘We have made some progress since the inception of the programme in the state in October 2017.

‘‘At the beginning of 2017, the state engaged 1,358 vendors and had 117,750 school pupils.

‘‘But presently, as we commenced the second term, the enrolment has increased to 168,069 while 1,963 vendors have been engaged,” he said.-NAN