Business Empowerment Using ICT In Poultry Farming Commerce Essay

Business Empowerment employ ICT In domestic fowl Farming Commerce EssayThis study investigates factors touch on domestic fowl farmers in Fufore Local Government scene of action of Adamawa State, Nigeria. It overly discusses ways through which these farmers can be empowered through the use of ICT. In this research, mixed research method actings were adopted in obtaining the data that was used this includes the decimal and qualitative research methods. The study discovered that a general lose to build up the domestic fowl harvest-homeion is necessary in the atomic number 18a of ICT and tele surround circuit to empower their craftes. This is necessary for extensive improvements in the contribution of the assure to domestic payoff and economic tumefy being of poor farmers. withal this research demonstrates that the implication of high degree ICT may have passing excellent effects on empowering business to the Rural Farmers and also increase their economic development, by providing the bird farmers with well nettle to ICT, to enhance their business to greater and better general and global markets.Introduction fowl culture is maven of the major(ip) forms of Agriculture practiced in Nigeria and galore(postnominal) opposite countries in the world. It provides employment with high income to many an different(prenominal) both in the cracker-barrel and urban trusts. For prototype, the United States, The average net income of bird farmers can alter from $13,900 per year to $20,000 or more per year. (Poultry Farmer Job Description, 2010). A segment from this, domestic fowl farming also contributes to the gross domestic product gross domestic product of many countries. found on the research we conducted, we found out that bird generates near 27% of the spiritedstock shargon contribution to Nigerians gross domestic product (GDP). Poultry Eggs and meat contribution of the livestock share of the GDP increased from 26% to 27% in 1999 (Ojo, 200 3). Based on this statistics and the push aside of bird farming by the Nigerians Government especi eachy in the agrarian athletic fields, we intend to show the hobnailed bird farmers how they can empower their poultry business by using ICT and some of the recent technological devices.In this paper, we lead be focusing our research on a sylvan part of Adamawa State know as Fufore Local Government Area. Fufore is a small town (a local government) located in the southern part of Adamawa State. The town is mostly dominated by the Fulani tribe of Adamawa state. Majority of them are into cattle rearing and poultry farming while a hardly a(prenominal) of them are into farming. The main aim of this research is to enclose ICT to these outlandish plenty and show them ways they can use it to improve their business.Fufore poultry famersThe poultry famers of this region (Fufore) are practicing the kind of poultry farming know as the backyard poultry farming. In this kind of backyar d poultry farming, they rear their poultry crybaby in the backyard space of their house instead of putting them in a wimp coop. A chicken coop is a structure where live chickens are unploughed either on a chicken settle or, in our case, a backyard chicken farm (My rearward Yard moaner farm 2007).The kind of poultry farming practiced by these population has so many disadvantages, because in our opinion, the most important aspect of poultry farming is the housing. This is because poultry chickens are fragile and they easily get infected by diseases, harsh conditions e.t.c which ends up killing many of the chickens if non wipe up the entire poultry. To avoid this, it is expected that the chickens are kept in an isolated place that is clean and well protected. A chicken house is non simply designed as a place for keeping chickens or shelter for your hens to lay their chicken orchis, but for security as well. Protecting your chickens from cold drafts or other sorts of poor we ather should be your 1 concern when building your first chicken coop. (My Back Yard Chicken farm 2007).MethodologyMixed research method is used in this research, both quantitative and qualitative. Hence using analyse data was collected from poultry farmers where some also practiced aquaculture residing in unpolished areas of Adamawa state, Nigeria.The population consists of rural dwellers and most of its inhabitants depend on subsistence poultry farming, crop production, and animal herding. The word rural can be delineate as places with low train of operate (e.g transport, water, and medical work), non-urban settlements ( such as Fufore villages) and a very high incidence of poverty ( IJEDICT, 2008).Geographically, the Fufore areas utilize both rain rainy season and dry season utilizing the river bank of Benue. It is purely a domestic food producing association. Interviews with some elders in the community show all tribes have their own pattern of traditional industries. Ther e are divide of tribes such as Bata, Verre, Laka and Pere and the largest the Fulani tribes all largely professing the Islamic faith. round of their local industries include, stools, mortals, pestles, hoe handles, axe handles, axe, hoe etc (Ayaga 2009).Using structured questionn stocke to consultation the respondents who are poultry farmers. In some situation where our respondents cannot understand English, their native-born language namely Fulani was used as medium of communication. This present purpose on Which poultry farming resources are used by rural poultry farmers? Which ICT resources are used by rural poultry farmers and why? How do ICTs enhance rural poultry farmers and quality of life? What problems those poultry farmers experience when accessing and using ICTs.Profile of RespondentsRespondents were between the ages of 20 40 yrs. The respondents were asked questions that seek to determine personal learning with regard to their field of occupation, education. These were questions common to the rural environment.Table of ICTs used by rural pile n=10 to access educational, business/trade, health, poultry farming.Table Shows use and availability of ICTs in the rural areas of Fufore districtICTsEducation of poultry farmingBusiness of Poultry farmHealth of poultryRadio77%88%65%Television38%21%19%Films15%13%7%Cell-phone5%8%2%Telephone1%Video calculator/internet1%Respondents felt that ICTs were too costly or all in all unavailable. ICTs particularly the radio and TV are what the a lot see and sometimes use to listen to current affairs and music which highly meliorate their lives. In this rural area computer/internet and mobile phone is hardly seen or available in this area. Most likely altogether the community chief can afford computer/internet or mobile phone.Major Challenges Faced by Fufore Poultry FarmersThe poultry farmers in this region are faced with a lot of problems ranging from technological to housing. somewhat of these problems inclu des Lack of conducive atmosphere for poultry (coop), Lack of effectual machineries for the poultry, deficiency of square-toed maintenance of the poultry, lack of efficient medication for the chickens.Lack of efficient machineriesBased on our research, we found out that these farmers not only do not use machineries for their poultry, but they dont even know more or less these machineries not to think of using them. With the assistant to ICT, we will be able to introduce these poultry farmers to some of the machineries that will foster progress their poultry business. An example of machinery that is used for poultry is the egg incubator. The egg incubator comprises a miasmal chamber and the equipment that regulates its temperature,humidity, and ventilation. For years, the principle uses for the controlled environment provided by egg incubators is used for be born poultry orchis (Frank 1991). The first incubators were used in ancient mainland China and Egypt, where they consis ted of fire-heated rooms in which fertilized chicken eggs were placed to hatch, thereby dismissal the hens to continue laying eggs. Later, wood stoves and alcohol lamps were used to heat incubators. Today, poultry incubators are large rooms, electrically heated to maintain temperatures between 99.5 and blow degrees Fahrenheit (37.5 and 37.8 degrees Celsius). Fans are used to circulate the heated air evenly over the eggs, and the rooms humidity is set at about 60 percent to minimize the evaporationof water from the eggs. In addition, outside air is pumped into theincubatorto maintain a constant oxygen level of 21 percent, which is normal for fresh air. As many as 100,000 eggs may be nurtured in a large commercial incubator at one time, and all are rotated a minimum of 8 times a day throughout the 21-dayincubation completion (Frank 1991). With recent technology, there are small egg incubators that fit up to 30 eggs and cost ranging from $49.95 dollars. These incubators are cheap an d with the aid of these incubators, the rural fufore poultry famers will be able to hatch the eggs of their chickens. By so doing, they will save a lot of cost purchasing chicks. An example of this kind of incubator can be seen below.Lack of decent housing for poultryThe poultry farmers around here lack proper housing for their chickens. Instead of caging the chickens in an isolated area to prevent them from acquire infected by some diseases and also to help insure their sentry duty from animals like cats and dogs, they simply allow them to roam about in the backyard during the day. At night, they lock them up in a room where they spend the night. In order words, the chickens are only allowed to feed in the day time. alone this is because they lack a proper housing because, in a well organized and standard poultry farm, they chickens feed day and night with the aid of light at night. This makes them get mature on time and also insure more productivity.Lack of MedicationsMedicat ion is an important aspect of poultry this is because poultry chickens are fragile and easily gets infected by germs and diseases. Based on our research, we found out that poultry disease is one of the major difficulty those farmers are facing. According to one of them named Musa, we lack medicines for these chickens and because of this, when one of the chickens is alter the others also follow suit and without proper medication which we lack, it results to the death of many (Musa, 2010).Lack of skills for poultry managementThe poultry farmers here lack the primary skills of managing and running a poultry farm. The farmers simply concentrate on the eggs that the chickens produce, and nothing else. They depend on those eggs as the major and only source of their poultry income meanwhile the eggs are just one of the sources of income of a poultry. With the aid of ICT, we will be able to show these people some ways they can make money out of the poultry farm apart from the sales of egg s. Some of these include slaughtering the old little productive chickens and supplying the meat to an organization like the American University of Nigeria or fast food like Yahaya Restaurant. Using their remains as muck on their farms or selling them to the farmers e.t.cProposed ModelGiven an increasing digital divide, we need to ensure that the benefits of new technologies, especially ICT, are available to all. (UN 2000). To chance on this and empower poultry farmers on the use of ICT, the government should do the pursualEstablish Telecentres (Information opening Centers).Telecentres will provide poultry farmers education services on in the area of health of poultry, efficient poultry farming techniques, pest management, possible poultry business activities and market set breeding as well as skills training. The use of Telecentres should be free. The description includes the multipurpose community centre whose aim to demonstrate how to use technology for Poultry farming. Th e telecenters carry web-sourced development made available through various media such projectors, televisions, radio. Telecentres should have a website that has links to other websites which carry rich field on Poultry farming techniques, pest management, possible poultry business activities and market expense info. Village telecenters should be equipped with computers with Internet capability, fax machines, telephones, televisions, VCRs and various printed materials. The village telecenters should also be network-linked with those established in other neighboring rural telecentres this will facilitate the exchange of experiences, education, and advertisement of community produce. Telecentres should provide services like voice telephony to fax, Internet and videoconferencing services to rural poultry farmers.. Telecentre requires the involvement of various institutions for the teaching processing and diffusion activities. Telecentres will also enlighten the rural dwellers of Fufore on information on basic government services such as health care, information for farmers and other essential support services in rural areas which the inhabitants are interested thus increase the use of ICT. Telecentres staffs should be well skilled and have the eager and potential to learn in order to help rural poultry farmers who cannot read and write to get the appropriate information they need.Public call offices/ unexclusive pay phonesThe government should install public pay phones or public call offices in rural area of Fufore. This will improve both connectivity and accessibility in rural Fufore by providing various levels and types of public ICT opportunities in the area. The objective is to provide information about poultry farming, e-commerce, ensure financial sustainability and bringing benefits directly to the local poultry farmers.Advantages of ICT to Poultry farmers in the rural areasBetter Access to price information of Poultry productsWith the use of ICT po ultry farmers can be aware silk hat prices of their products. Poultry Farmers in rural areas such as fufore are very much found to be unaware of the value of their Poultry products ( e.g eggs, chickens ) markets. Poultry farmers often find themselves in a poor negotiating position with customers in the price of chickens and feeds, which farmers pay an inflated price for. Farmers are unaware of opportunities within their surround regions for example which poultry breeds and commodities are fetching higher prices in skirt towns which products are in high demand, and so on. Accurate information on market standards can help the farmers in their cash returns.Better Access to national and international Markets.It is important to work towards increasing the level of access of information farmers have to potential markets, to facilitate contact between sellers and buyers, promote agricultural exports, facilitate online trading, and make producers aware of potential market opportunities i ncluding consumer and price trends in international markets.Greater access to poultry and agricultural informationLocal farmers with the use if ICT will be educated concerning better practices in poultry farming, such as access information about poultry health thereby reducing disease of chickens(e.g Newcastle disease). And also to bridge the to-do between information needs of farmers and the information provided, which is insufficiently localized and overly scientific in its presentation. With access to poultry farming/ agricultural information will give farmers greater awareness about new adapting techniques on droughts, changing weather, diseases and pests and hence increase their production efficiency.ConclusionThis empowerment will go a long way in changing the lives of not only Fufore poultry farmers, but it will serve as depth to as many Rural Poultry farmers as possible. If adopted, it will descry an improvement in their income, social status get greater horse sense of c onfidence in poultry business. ICT will ensure the provision of the following to the rural dwellers Employment, improved market access, improved negotiation position, change in their levels of income, improved levels of cooperation, improved access to information about efficiency and production methods, improved infrastructure/connectivity in the rural areas and access to price information among others.