Damwesh Sila Daniel
Nakam Memorial School, Nigeria
Title: Rebranding Monogastrics (pig,poultry and rabbit) productions to boost agriculture as a panacea for poverty alleviation in Africa
Biography
Biography: Damwesh Sila Daniel
Abstract
Despite the gains that have been recorded in agricultural practices especially in the developed countries as a result of technological
advancement; Africa has remained a continent marked by poverty and food shortages even though majority of the African
people are farmers. One important relationship between animal husbandry and crop production is that the former produces manure
(organic fertilizer) through animal droppings or wastes which help to fertilize the soil for the latter. This is preferable to chemical
fertilizer which has been shown to have toxic effects on the soil, crops and to some extend on the consumers (animals and humans).
In addition, the natural taste of the crops is sometimes lost. It is on record that the cheapest and easy to procure animals that most
African people keep domestically are the monogastrics (Pig, Poultry and Rabbit) hence no matter how poor a family is it is very
common to keep at least one or two of these three monogastric types. One major disadvantage of keeping these non – ruminants is
the pollution caused by their wastes and urine which results in foul smell, accumulation of flies and disease outbreak. However, they
can thrive on easy to obtain feeds which include kitchen wastes, maize by-products, local brewing waste products etc., and converting
them generally into meat of high protein quality and calorific value. This paper examines the agricultural and economic advantages of
these animals in the African context, how to manage their negative impact and rebrand their production to alleviate poverty in Africa.