FG signs MoU with Tuns Farms to facilitate 50 million daily egg production 

Following its plans to embark on an egg per day for school children, the Federal government has  signed a N25 billion Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tuns Farms to improve egg production in the country.

The project called National Egg Production Scheme (NEGPRO) is also aimed at increasing the output of egg production in the country to 50 million table eggs daily by 2018 and a create 1 million jobs.

Olatunde Badmus,the Chairman of Tuns Farms,while briefing newsmen during the  signing ceremony  said that ministry of Agriculture will assist the Bank of Industry (BOI) to access N25 billion from the Central Bank of Nigeria to finance the project.

“The Ministry appointed us as a consultant and manager of the scheme, we are to create 1 million employment through the scheme and produce 50 million table eggs daily by 2018.

“The Ministry of Agriculture will assist the BOI to access N25 billion from the CBN under the agricultural scheme. The BOI will select some commercial banks that will participate in the programme and loans under this programme is at single digit rate”, he added.

In his address, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development,  Audu Ogbeh expressed the readiness of the government assist in the programme to ensure self sufficiency in egg production.

“We are ready to give you the necessary support to make you keep growing and be able to grow others”.

He also hinted the plans of the government to give every child at least 3 eggs in a week or an egg per day to combat malnutrition.

“We are about to begin a huge school feeding programme, we need to give every child at least 3 eggs a week if not an egg per day.  We need these children to have a greater sources of protein in their diet”, he noted.

Part of the terms is that the Tuns Farms will recommend eligible entrepreneurs to access the N25 billion facility through the Bank of Industry. The company will also develop customised and standard feed concentrate for the scheme.

Harrison Edeh