By Francis Ogwo
Farmers of Poultry extraction in Ogun State have expressed fear that the poultry business may collapse if the increase in price of maize and other poultry production raw materials are not tackled.
This was made on Tuesday by the Chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Ogun State, Mrs. Alawode Blessing Isioma, during a chat with the press at the association’s secretariat in Abeokuta, the state capital.
According to her, she had raised the alarm earlier in March that the price of maize had increased from N97,000 to N160,000 per metric ton, which was about 65% increase while adding that more than 350,000 poultry farmers have been forced out of business while over 1,000 egg farmers have also lost their jobs as a result of the increase in the price of maize and other essential ingredients used in poultry feed.
She noted that the price of Soya bean meal had also increased from N110,000 to N135,000 per ton, which represents a 22% increase.
The Chairman also said the ravaging COVID-19 pandemic has contributed greatly to the worrisome increase and hike in the price of maize and other ingredients.
“The poultry industry is under siege. Many of our farmers have downsized their production capacity by over 300,000 birds, while many others have buried thousands of crates of eggs to save themselves from total collapse.
“Feed constitutes 75% or more of what makes the capital of what goes into the poultry business. The increase and scarcity of maize and soya bean meal is forcing farmers to sell their eggs and birds at very cheap prices.
“The arbitrary increase in the price of maize was at a high level of N90,000 – N97,000 per metric to which today, is now scarce and priced at N150,000 – N160,000 per metric with no end in sight for the price increase for a material that constitutes an average of 55% of the poultry ration.”
The agricultural sector, observers say, has had its share of the biting effects of the coronavirus pandemic with the lockdown orders, travel bans and restrictions.
