In a review of the animal and aqua-feed industries in Nigeria by O.A. Fagbenro and O.T. Adebayo, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology, Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Ondo State, the duo explained that “formulated feeds account for the major operating costs in the semi-intensive and intensive pig and poultry industry. These costs may account for as much as 60 to 80 per cent of total production costs.”

According to them, the livestock resources are cattle, goats, sheep, donkeys, horses, pigs, giant rats, cane rats, guinea pigs and rabbits, while the poultry resources include indigenous and imported chickens, guinea fowls, turkeys, ducks and geese. Though their research showed that over 90 per cent of the country’s pig and rabbit production is managed under traditional husbandry systems, commercial production techniques are used extensively in the intensive poultry and aquaculture sectors, where they account for 27 per cent and 19 per cent of production, respectively.

They found that the poor quality of the feeds currently available to the industry, with the exception of a few emerging industrially produced feed brands, generates high mortalities, low productivity and eventually, very poor returns on investment for the poultry, pig and fish farmers. Guardian