NIAS, ASAN conference to promote technology in livestock sector – Registrar

As Nigeria Animal Scientists prepared for the 10th ASAN-NIAS JAM conference, the Registrar and Chief Executive Officer, Nigerian Institute of Animal Science, Prof. Eustace Ayamere Iyayi has revealed that the conference will promote technology while addressing issues and challenges facing the the sector.

This is even as the Institute will be inducting the Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer, TETFund, Prof. Suleiman Bogoro into the Animal Science cHall of Fame while 170 newly registered Animal Scientists will be inducted into the Institute.

Addressing the press on Tuesday in Abuja, Iyayi said the 10th Joint Annual Meeting (JAM), with the theme: “Livestock Resilience In the Post-COVID-19 Era, will hold at Uyo, Akwa Ibom between 5th and 9th of September, 2021.

According to the Registrar, the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously imparted the Animal Husbandry industry in a very negative manner as two essential ingredients, maize and soybean whose cultivation and importation reduced drastically, further compounding the problem of the industry.

“Production activities have been greatly hanpered and it has been widely reported that many livestock farms, especially poultry have closed or are operating at marginal levels.

“The growth of the Nigerian Animal Husbandry Industry, whihc has Ben slow, has further been aggravated, apart from the COVID-19 pandemic, by factors such as insecurity, climate change, rising population and coat of other love ng expenses. The Animal Scientist believes that going forward in the post-covid-19 era, resilience is required to absorb the shock and reposition for greater heights, solve youth restiveness and perennial farmer-herder conflict.

“The application of technology and innovation to promote production, processing and animal agricultural trade through effective competitiveness, market access and penetration are the basis for the resurgence of our nation’s economy.

“These and several other related issues will engage the participants at the meeting with a view to charting a new path for the industry,” he said.