LIVESTOCK BY-PRODUCTS: AN UNEXPLORED GOLDMINE
Nigeria has over 15 million cattle, 49 million sheep and goats, 6 million pigs and 131 million poultry. Out of the given population, about 14% of the cattle, 40% of the sheep, 42% of the goats, 70% of the pigs and 145% of the poultry are slaughtered yearly. Livestock are animals raised primarily to provide food (meat, milk and eggs) for human consumption. However, in the course of processing these primary products, some components considered not fit for human consumption because of one reason or the other are generated. These are collectively referred to as by-products. Ordinarily a by-product is defined as a secondary or incidental product of a manufacturing process. Livestock by-products include body parts of animals suspected of being infected with transmissible diseases, entire bodies of dead animals containing specified risk materials or have been administered with or contain residues of certain environmental contaminants, or catering waste from means of transport operating internationally. Other categories of the livestock by-product include manure and digestive tract content, waste collected from slaughter houses, animals and parts of animals that are not slaughtered for human consumption, blood, hides, skins, hooves, horns, pig bristles and feathers from animals. All these can be put to various uses Tons of these materials are produced all over the country and a large proportion of all these go waste while they can all be put to some very good uses.
The processing, marketing and utilization of livestock by-products hold great economic prospects for Nigeria where large numbers of animals are slaughtered on a daily basis. This article will attempt to document the availability of livestock by-products in Nigeria, their uses, marketing and export potentials.
