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Fear of mycotoxins, beginning of wisdom for feed millers
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YCOTOXINS are toxic products formed by fungi that colonise crops in the field or after harvest and thus pose a potential threat to human and animal health. In farm animals, a mycotoxin-contaminated diet may lead to substantial economic losses due to feed refusal, poor feed conversion, diminished body weight gain, immune suppresion, thus resulting in a higher susceptibility to disease, interference with fertility and residues in animal products livestock. However, controlling mycotoxins has always pose a great challenge to animal feed producers, feed millers, poultry farmers and animal scientists. In fact, a number of approaches to control mycotoxins have alway been met with disappointment and this dangerous fungi have sent some feed millers, and many poultry farmer packing or force them to abandon the business they know how to do best. Not only that, many poultry management experts, as well as poultry farmers believe that mycotoxins have become a persistent headache for them. Due to the large number of toxins that exist and their mode of interactions, a single solution according to animal health experb, to the problem of lnycotoxins does not exist. Controling mycotoxins will position producers for greater competitiveness and profitability for the future. Research have also shown that combining selected adsorbent with bio-transformation methods would ensure effective protection in mycotoxincontimenated feeds. However, there are different types of to mycotoxins with different havoc they the wreak on harvested agricultural produce, poultry and other animals. Below are some examples of mycotoxins: Deoxynivalenol (DON), Zearalenore (ZON), Aflatoxin B. (AFB), Toxin (T-2), Toxin (HT-2), Nivalenol (NIV), Diacetoxy scirpenol (DAS), Fumonisin (FUM) and Ocharatoxin A (OTA) oEffects of mycotoxins on poultry - For successful and profitable poultry business, every farmer should be equipped with necessary information that would ensure mycotoxin risk managment, unless poultry farmers may be forced to close down their farms. Mycotoxins cause decreased hatchability, decreased egg production, ovarian cysts, leads to embyonic loss and delayed sexual maturation in poultry. Since there are different types of mycotoxins, they are known to wreak different havoc on their host. .--
.Deoxynivalenol (I)ON}- This affects poultry kidneys and also cause increased water consumption. • Aflatoxin B. Toxin (T-2), deoxyniva-Ienol, diacetoxy-scirpenol (DAS), Nivalenol (NJV) and Ochratoxin A (OTA) - They cause fatty liver in poultry, immuno suppression, inhomogenous flocks and impaired feathering. • Aflatoxin 8., Ochratoxin A (OTA), Toxin (T-2), 2 Toxin (HT), Nivalenol (NN), Diacetoxyscirpenol (DAS), Deoxy-nivalenol (DON) and Aflatoxin B, (AFB), oould cause serious damage to poultry by causing oral and dermal lesions, as well as inflammation of mucous membrance of the oral cavity. oIn conclusion, Toxin (T2) and Deoxy-nivalenol (DON) could affect poultry and manifest in form of gizzard lessions, feed refusal and decreased feed intake.
oSuccessful poultry business requires good management
Vegetable farming in SI West still "I
T is very unfortunate that many Nigerians, especially people in the southern part of the country, up till now, still depend on the people from the northern part of the country for the supply of pepper, tomatoes, onions, as well as other major food crops. This topic was part of the discussions by many farmers, as well as agricultural experts at a recent programme organised by the West Agro-Inputs Dealers Association (WAlDA), Oyo State, in collaboration with the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC). Some of the experts who talked to practising farmers and agric-input dealers in the South-Western part of the country at the occasion, decried the attitude of many people in the south who still depend solely on the agricultural produce from the north. The experts said if people continue, to show more
Farmers should approach state ministry of agric for assistanCe -Official
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HE administration of Chief Adebayo AlaoAkala, the Governor of Oyo State, is doing much to support agricultural development in
the state. In fact, a lot has been done in the area of rural development and youth empowerment just to stimulate the interest of youths in farming. I'm emphasing this again so that farmers in the state would feel free to walk into the state ministry of agriculture for any necessary support and assistance." Dr. Yakeen Lawai, a top officer in the state ministry of agriculture stated this in Ibadan, while addressing farmers at the premises of the Oyo State Agricultural Develoflment Programme (OYSADEP), Moor-Plantation, Apata, Ibadan. According to him, Oyo State government is highly committ;ted to agricultural development in the state and the governor is also cOlhmitted to implement its 13 point agenda to the fullest, one of which is to turn Oyo State to the food basket of the country. Therefore, everything is being done to achieve this noble goal. Speaking further, Dr. Lawai, explained that the state
I government has done a lot to revitalise the agriculI tural sector, adding that the government is also doing I something about vegetable farming in the state. "The state government has done much to promote
I and support FADAMA in the state to develop agrif culture and encourage farJ;l\ing
among the youths." The government is also' supporting commercial agriculture with over one billion naira and everything is being done by the state ministry of agriculture to actualise this vision. Therdore, farmers should be hopeful and happy as their welfare are being highly considered," he stated. He further posited that farmers should not hesitate to approach officials of the state ministry of agriculture for further information on how they could benefit from the agricultural revolution going on in the state_ "Every part of Oyo State is rich and good for farming, therefore, if you are interested in farming, such an individual should feel free to walk into the state ministry of agriculture for support," he emphaSised.
low -Experts
preference for pepper, tomatoes, onion, beans, as well as vegetables being brought to the south by farmers in the northern part of the country, then, there may not be expected development in the agricultural sector in the south-west. The president, West Agro-Input Dealers Association (WAlDA), Alhaji Olayinka Akinmade, said the over-reliance of people in the south on some agricultural produce, especially pepper and other vegetables, from the northern part of the country, has been observed to be the contributing to low-development of the agriculture in the south. According to him, "our people often go to the market to buy vegetables from the north without bothering to ask for our own indigenous vegetables. If you gave them tomatoes planted in the south, they won't buy it, rather, they would insist on buying Hausa tomatoes and peppers. "So tell me, if our farmer present their own indigenous vegetables to buyers and they rejected it, would they be encouraged to plant them in large quani\y? Therefore, we should not blame our farmers for not producing enough pepper, tomatoes and other vegetables. I think our people should be enlightened to change their attitude towards our indigenous agricultural produce. If they started asking for them, our farmers would be encouraged to increase their production, because as a business man or woman, you can't produce what people are not buying or asking for," he stated. In his contribution to the discussion, a senior Enforcement Officer at the National Agricultural Seeds Council (NASC), Mr. Ayodele Agboola, told the participants to appreCiate our farmers by consuming their produce, instead of insisting to buy agricultural produce from the other parts of the country. "Farmers in the south are hard working, but refused to plant their own indigenous vegetables in commercial quantities because there is no market for it. We at NASC are'however ready to supply farmers with seeds of all known indigenous vegetables once there is a big request for them from our farmers," he stated.