*Poultry Association of Nigeria reveals the inability of several farmers to sustain productions due to high cost of feeds in the country’s economy

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

Concerned about imminent closure of several, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has raised alarm on the inability of farmers to sustain production due to high cost of feeds in the economy.

ConsumerConnect learnt Mr. Pius Aminu, Chairman of PAN FCT Chapter, stated this Thursday, May 26, 2022, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, in Abuja, FCT.

Aminu urged the Nigerian Government to salvage the situation and sustain the industry.

The PAN Chairman especially decried the number of farms that shit operations in the FCT within the past six months.

He described the situation as a looming danger to the country’s economy.

The Chairman identified the sector as key to national development and the highest employer of Labour, skilled and unskilled.

According to him, if nothing is done to salvage the situation, it will further increase the country’s unemployment burden besides crippling the entire economy.

Aminu further stated: “Take, for instance, the closure of a farm with 10,000 birds with a minimum of 15 workers and those 15 have automatically being thrown into the Labour market.

“By extension their families and others who depend on those workers as source of livelihood will suffer hardship.”

“It calls for concern of government and priority should be given to the industry to ensure the sector is sustainable.”

The PAN Chairman as well  attributed the hike in feeds to astronomical increase in cost of poultry meat and eggs as most Nigerian consumers could not afford the products.

He said: “Poultry has been a very lucrative business except of recent due to hike in the cost of feeds, micro ingredient and every other items that is used for production of feed.

“Looking at the whole sector generally, poultry is the only and easiest sector to employ people, skills or without skills.

“The farmer can employ and train the person in the farm gradually to chart a course in life.”

Aminu, however, urged the government to come to the aid of the farmers through the provision of palliatives in terms of grants.

The Chairman appealed to government to adopt holistic approach to address the lingering challenge in the sector by dealing with the farmers directly.

He also suggested that government should urgently assist poultry farmers by giving them take off grants through loans to sustain their business.

Poultry farmers’ contribution to economy

“We are advocating single digits interest rate like five percent.

“Going to bank with double digit interest rate is not encouraging because the farmer won’t be able to meet up with his obligations.

“Contribution of poultry farmers into the economy is very high; they are making money for others but they are not making for themselves, hence government should take critical look as the sector,” he added.