Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has officially opened a €25 million state-of-the-art fish and feed plant facility in Ibadan, Oyo. During the inauguration, the governor emphasized his administration’s commitment to creating a favorable environment for businesses to thrive, particularly in the agricultural sector, to enhance food security.
Represented by Olasunkanmi Olaleye, his Commissioner for Agriculture, Makinde spoke at the official launch of Skretting Nigeria Limited, highlighting the timely nature of the initiative. He noted that rising costs of animal feeds, particularly for fish and poultry, have posed challenges for farmers, making such investments crucial.
The establishment of this plant couldn’t have come at a better time, as the imperative to ensure and secure food supplies and ramp up production has become essential to meet the growing demand for animal protein in our society.
It’s a known fact that the global demand for fish and seafood has been steadily increasing, and Nigeria is no exception to this trend. Fish and seafood are crucial sources of protein and essential nutrients, playing a vital role in enhancing food security and driving economic development.
Highlighting the state of the capture fishery sector in Nigeria, it was emphasized that it has been experiencing degradation and a decline in fish stocks. Consequently, there has been a shift towards aquaculture production as an alternative source of fish supply, with Skretting emerging as a significant player and partner in extruded fish feed manufacturing at the newly commissioned plant.
With the capacity to produce 125,000 metric tons of feeds, the company is poised to significantly contribute to making feeds available at affordable prices to farmers, thereby alleviating the challenge of high feed costs currently faced by them.
He expressed appreciation to the company for its support of cluster farmers throughout the state, noting that this support has greatly influenced fish production in the region.
The state government also extends its congratulations to the company for maintaining the integrity of its fish feed products since its establishment. The consistent quality, potency, and outstanding performance of these products have never been compromised.
As a result, the state government has chosen to support the company’s products by purchasing 3,000 bags of fish feed for distribution to 1,000 fish farmers across the 33 local government areas under the state government’s Sustainable Actions for Economic Recovery (SAfER) initiative. This initiative aims to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal by the Federal government by stabilizing agricultural product prices, particularly fish.
Seyi Adeleke-Ige, the General Manager of Skretting Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of the Nutreco company based in the Netherlands, highlighted that since its inception, the company has been actively contributing to the country’s economy by locally producing feed using locally sourced raw materials.
She emphasized that the new feed production facility would further enhance the agricultural sector and national GDP. The facility currently employs 135 staff directly and an additional 150 through third-party agencies.
Adekeke-Ige, highlighting the value of the €25 million plant, expressed, “We are delighted by the expansion of our business in Nigeria, a nation with a population exceeding 218 million and a surging need for protein. Establishing a facility of this scale ensures our capacity to fulfill both local demands and those of neighboring West African nations, thus fostering the advancement of Nigeria’s and Africa’s aquaculture and agricultural sectors.”
Adeleke-Ige highlighted that the new plant underscores the company’s dedication to Nigeria’s aquaculture and agricultural sectors, a commitment demonstrated through initiatives such as the Catfish Sustainability and Hendrix4u community development projects.
The Catfish Sustainability project, which has been aiding fish farmers since 2015, has expanded from its initial 50 farmers to encompassing 1,350 farmers today.
Peter Bastiaanssen, Managing Director of Nutreco, emphasized the plant’s commitment to producing top-quality, cost-effective feeds and concentrates tailored to meet the varied requirements of the Nigerian market.
From extruded fish feed to poultry feed, we are fully equipped with both advanced products and on-site experts, prepared to assist farmers in optimizing production efficiency.
“This investment underscores our commitment to our mission of nourishing the future, enabling us to enhance food production efficiency and provide superior nutrition accessible to all in the region.”
