The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State chapter, says it will adopt the Federal Government-approved ‘MoorBeta’ breed only if it proves to have higher productivity and longevity.
The Lagos State Chairman of PAN, Mojeed Iyiola, disclosed this in an interview with reporters on Thursday in Lagos.
It was reported that the Federal Ministry of Livestock Development recently approved a new indigenous meat-type chicken breed, MoorBeta, for commercialization in Nigeria to strengthen poultry production and enhance food security.
MoorBeta was formally approved for release and registration on March 26 by the National Crop Varieties and Livestock Breeds Registration and Release Committee during a meeting in Ibadan.
The breed is said to be suitable for smallholder farmers, with the ability to perform well under different environmental conditions across the country.
Iyiola, while acknowledging the approval of the new breed, said the association would adopt the MoorBeta chicken only if its egg production is high and commercially viable.
“We just received information that the Federal Government has endorsed new varieties of chicken breeds.
“We heard that this new breed is more meaty and yields more eggs compared to traditional breeds.
“As an association, we are aware of the approval, but we cannot yet ascertain the profitability and productivity of these varieties.
“Until these new breeds are tested and proven for commercial production, we cannot fully adopt them.
“Once we obtain them and assess their performance in terms of egg production, we will consider adopting the breed,” Iyiola said.
He reiterated the association’s cautious stance, noting that adoption would depend on proven benefits to poultry farmers.
“If you rear 1,000 birds of the new breed and only about 200 begin to lay eggs, that would not be profitable.
“We need to assess their health, productivity, and longevity compared to existing breeds.
“We cannot determine their profitability yet. Even if scientists say they have been tested, we must conduct our own practical evaluation.
“We believe the approval is based on theoretical results, but we will carry out practical tests to determine viability for mass production.
“We hope the breed performs well in practice and encourage further research to provide farmers with more productive birds,” he said.
According to him, farmers will adopt the new breed if it proves practical and profitable.
He also advised members to exercise caution when sourcing birds.
“Farmers should be careful about where they obtain chickens, as there are many substandard hatcheries across the country.
“Some hatcheries sell low-quality day-old chicks with high mortality rates and poor productivity.
“If care is not taken, this could lead to the collapse of many poultry businesses.
“We remain hopeful for improved productivity in the sector,” he said.
