CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF STUDY
The livestock industry is an important subsector of the agricultural sector of Nigeria’s economy. The role of this sector cannot be over-emphasized considering the importance of animal protein in the diet of people and contribution from this sector to the gross domestic product (Adekaye and Akinrade, 1986). Uguru (1981), enumerated livestock types found in Nigeria to include cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, poultry. horses, donkeys and camel. These animals are spread throughout various ecological zones in the country and that numbers in each zone is determined by environmental factors such as temperature, rainfall, humidity, light intensity etc. these factors determine whether an animal can or cannot survive within a specific environment.
The term poultry refers to all domesticated birds kept for meat or eggproduction which consist of chicken (domestic fowl), turkey, ducks and geese (Obioha, 1992). Contributing, Babatunde and Olayide (1980) stated that Poultry enterprise comprising chicken, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, turkeys and pigeon constitute an industry that is structurally suited to any ecological condition in the country. The term Poultry is often considered synonymous with chicken and this convention will be adopted in this study.
The term Poultry processing is the preparation of meat from various types of fowl for consumption by humans. Poultry is a major source of consumable animal protein. For example, per capita consumption of poultry in the world has more than quadrupled since the World War II, as the industry developed a highly efficient production system (Britannica)
Poultry is the fastest means of addressing protein deficiency as well as providing flexible financial reserve for rural population. Also Poultry production is a contributor to the nation’s gross domestic product in the Agricultural Sector and accounted for 38.42 billion Naira or 38.1 % of the Gross Domestic Product in 1993 (CBN, 1994).
Akinwumi (1979) reported that, developing the poultry industry in Nigeria is the fastest means of bridging the animal protein energy deficiency in the country. It can yield the quickest returns on investment. Poultry meat and eggs yieId desirable products in all parts of the country with no cultural restrictions. They are efficient feed converters to meat and eggs. Poultry eggs rank second to cow milk in terms of nutritive value and is the most economically produced animal protein (Ikeme, 1996). Therefore it is essential a project of these magnitudes be carried out.
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT
Large quantities of different animal bi-products accumulate during the processing of animals in meat processing factory. (U.S Environmental Protection Agency 1995). Humans cannot directly consume between one half to one third of an animal that was reared for meat production.
Thus, this project will solve the problem of poor waste management, in terms of re-use and disposal observed from other meat processing plants and equally the problem of poor hygiene in those plants.
