The outbreak of diseases traced to animals did affect the sale of bush meat in the country, according to the Grass Cutters Farmers Association of Nigeria (GRAFAN), but the demand still remains relatively high.
GRAFAN President, Chinedu Eluwa, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Sunday that many people still preferred bush meat as it is organic and healthier.
“People are being cautious of what they eat, especially the source of protein that accompanies their food.
“The normal and usual bush meat, whether farmed or in the wild, is still organic and contain the necessary nutrients good for the human body.
“In the farm they (bush meats) still eat the normal vegetables and fruits consumed by human beings and the supplements given to them are still bio-products,’’ he said.
Eluwa said that it was unfortunate that some diseases were traced to consumption of wild animals, adding that those were rare cases.
He said that farmed bush meat were fed mainly with nuts, vegetables and fruits which were also recommended for human beings to maintain good health.
According to him, the feeding habits of bush meats leave them with immune systems that do not allow their bodies to accommodate diseases.
He said that in addition to providing protein the human body required, bush meat skins and bones were in high demand in furniture and pharmaceutical industries.
Eluwa said that grass cutter farming was still in the hands of small holder farmers and asked for government intervention to commercialise it. (NAN)
