The International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) has trained no fewer than 21 livestock farmers on alternative protein sources for livestock feeds to enhance profits in various areas of livestock production.

The training was tagged “Insects4Feeds Entrepreneurship Incubation: Providing Opportunity in Black Soldier Fly Value Chain for Sustainable Agriculture.”

Speaking at the end of the 13-week training, the IITA deputy director, Dr Kenton Dashiell, said that the training was about developing high protein feeds from food waste and black soldier fly.

Dr Dashiell said that the food waste and the larvae of the black soldier fly when combined in the right proportion, was very rich in high-quality protein feeds for livestock.

He said that currently, there was high demand for protein livestock feeds which were in short supply, adding that lots of it were being imported into the country.

“This business will encourage people to produce high-quality protein feeds for livestock, reduce importation and unemployment, and substantially boost local production.

“The participants have gained a lot of knowledge required for them to start a new business: how to grow the insect, give the right feeds for them and gain more profit.

“All the participants are already operating some businesses before. So they have the business knowledge and this new knowledge will help them start a new business with black soldier fly,” he said.

In his remarks, IITA chief executive officer, Business Incubation Platform (BIP), Dr Debo Akande, urged the participants to be focused and effectively utilise the knowledge gained during the training.

Mr Akande said that the training would ensure the profitability of their business and reduce the cost of purchasing livestock feed.

Also speaking, Prof. Adebayo Omoloye of the Department of Crop Protection and Environmental Biology, University of Ibadan, said partnering with IITA on the Insect4Feed cluster had yielded many benefits.

One of the participants, Olamide Akintaro, a livestock farmer, said that the training had exposed them to the value chain, which would help them establish their own business and be successful.

Mr Akintaro said that the training would create a viable alternative in the feed industry in Nigeria, particularly with the rising cost of feeds, especially protein feeds.

He said that the training had been an eye-opener for them, who were players in the livestock industry and would, within a short period, reduce the cost of livestock feeds.

Another participant, Damilare Olaiya, said that the training came at an appropriate time, adding that aside from providing alternative protein feeds, it would also provide solutions to the feed problem in the country.

Mr Olaiya said that the training would reduce the amount of waste being generated in the country by converting waste into a source of income.

(NAN)