Awka residents decry kerosene scarcity

NaijaAgroNet:

Inhabitants of Awka, the capital of Anambra State have described the high prices of kerosene in the State, following the scarcity of the product, reports NaijaAgroNet.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey showed that the product was being sold at between N110 and N140 per liter as against the official pump price of N50 sold at the NNPC Mega Station in Awka.

Some attendants at independent filling stations visited said the high cost of kerosene was due to non-availability of the product to dealers.

Ifeanyi Nwamuo, an attendant with Total Filling Station at Ukwuoji, Awka, said that the product had not been supplied to the station in many months.

He said that the process of getting the product was hard and that failed attempts to secure supply had compelled their station to stop the procurement of kerosene.

Tina Nwaegbo, a private dealer also attributed the high cost of the commodity in Awka to the means of procurement and the large-scale bribery before getting the product.

Ms. Nwaegbo said that dealers needed to recover their expenses after procurement and that it was the end users who would bear the cost. She said that the Federal Government should make the business policy easy so as to eliminate third parties involved in kerosene procurement.

The NNPC Mega Station Manager in Awka, Ngozi Onyiliofor, said the station had been selling the product to the public at the approved pump price of 50k per liter.

Her colleague, Florence Nwaokoye, said that the supply of the product to station had been steady, compared to previous months when kerosene was out of supply in Awka and environs.

She urged the government to ensure availability of the product this season, to facilitate the celebration of Christmas. 

Isaac Oyima with additional reports from (NAN)

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Nigeria poultry show exposes new techniques

NaijaAgroNet:

Stakeholders in the poultry sector converged in Abeokuta, Ogun State for this year’s international Poultry Show to exhibit their product, services and imbibe new techniques into the global trends and practices.

 The National Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr Ayoola Oduntan informed NaijaAgroNet  that  the event serves as a business forum where participants learn new techniques, technology and recent advances in animal health and nutrition which will be beneficial to their farms.

 “Nigerian poultry farmers will use the numerous opportunities in this show to build networks and to key into the best global trends and practices that will redefine poultry farming in the country,” Oduntan said. 

Speaking on the occasion as the chairman, the former Minister for State Agriculture, Alhaji Adamu Waziri Maina, said that if the current campaign of “an egg a day” by the Poultry Association of Nigeria is achieved, 75 per cent consumption of poultry products will double in five years. 

A guest speaker, Mr Kola Masha, who spoke on the need to increase the consumption of poultry products, said the theme “Doubling Consumption of Locally Produced Poultry Products in Five Years” is apt as Nigeria is seriously lagging behind in terms of the consumption of poultry products. 

“The consumption of poultry products in Nigeria is only five per cent compared to South Africa’s 65 per cent and the Caribbean’s 85 per cent. Nigerians need to consume more poultry, which promotes the health of the nation,” Masha said.

AN/GEE

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Costco recalls ground beef due to E. coli

NaijaAgroNet

Costco is recalling lean fresh ground beef that was sold to 342 customers at its Coon Rapids location last month because the product could be contaminated with a dangerous strain of E. coli bacteria, NaijaAgroNet report.

NaijaAgroNet gathered from the U.S. Department of Agriculture  that the recall affects 383 units of 88 per cent lean fresh ground beef sold between September  4 and September  7 and added that one person became ill late last month from E. coli O157: H7, and Minnesota officials confirmed a link to the ground beef.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the Minnesota Department of Health are continuing to investigate the contaminated product, while officials said Costco has been trying to reach customers who purchased the ground beef.

NaijaAgroNet records that E.coli is short for the medical term Escherichia coli, a common type of bacteria that can get into food, like beef and vegetables. E. coli O157:H7 can cause dehydration, bloody diarrhoea and abdominal cramps. Older adults and children under five are more likely to suffer from complications from the illness, which can lead to kidney failure.

*With additional report from Minnesota Public Radio

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