19/09/2006
Poultry farmers in the country have been assured of rapid and qualitative growth of their birds by ensuring that only standard and quality feeds are allowed into the market.
The Director-General of SON, Dr. John Akanya, dropped the hint at the opening of a meeting with poultry feed millers and Poultry Association of Nigeria in Lagos recently.
Dr. Akanya, who was duly represented by the Head of Standards, Engr Charles Okoro at the stakeholders forum, expressed happiness with the positive impact of poultry business on the economy, assuring of his organisation's readiness to continue to assist Nigeria's dominance of the poultry market within the west African sub-region.
He noted that the SON would register all commercial and toll millers to ensure close monitoring of their activities with a view to standardising their activities.
Earlier, the President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Chief O. Badmus urged the SON to organise training on Hazards Analysis Critical Control Point to his members to enhance their knowledge.
He expressed delight over SON's move to check and control the activities of commercial and toll millers which according to him will ensure the production of high quality feeds for poultry farmers thus reducing the cost and pains they have been passing through in the past.
Meanwhile, the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), a major supporter and financier of the federal government programme on Vitamin A fortification of some food vehicles in the country has lauded the efforts of the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in the implementation of the programme.
The Alliance team who visited Nigeria recently to assess the performances of agencies involved in the Vitamin A food fortification programme so far and their preparedness for the next phase of the programme stated this at SON's operational headquarters, Lekki Lagos.
Ms. Francoise Chime, Consultant to GAIN charged SON to do more to sustain the programme in Nigeria, and stressed that its relevance as a vehicle for pushing the programme forward could be over-emphasised.
She said that the number of standards on Vitamin A fortified foods already published by SON is a sign that Nigeria will benefit immensely from the programme.
Earlier, the Director-General of SON, Dr. John Akanya enumerated the efforts of Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and other agencies including the United Nations Children Education Fund (UNICEF) in the drive for the success of the food fortification programme in Nigeria.
According to the SON boss, SON has elaborated and distributed so many printed standards for Vitamin A fortified foods, and add that a lot of testing at premix levels, during and after processing as well as on finished products are being carried out.
Dr. Akanya explained further, that sampling is not limited to the factories, but extended to imported food items at the various ports of entry, with an efficient port inspection scheme in place for monitoring.
However, he sought for the assistance and support of organisations like GAIN in improving the capacity of the staff in order for them to function better.
The GAIN team while in Nigeria visited National Planning Commission, National Primary Health Research and Development Agency (NPHRDA), National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) and the United Nations Children's Education Fund (UNICEF) office as well as stakeholders in flour milling, vegetable oil and sugar production.
