Inflation: High Cost of Feed Threatens 25 Million Jobs in Nigeria's Poultry Industry
- Twenty-five million jobs in the poultry industry risk being closed in Nigeria if the government fails to intervene
- The Poultry Association of Nigeria said members are closing down businesses due to the high cost of feed for birds
- The association blames the Central Bank of Nigeria for the slowdown in growth witnessed in the industry
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The Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, has stated that poultry farmers are shutting down operations due to the increasing cost of maise which serves as a significant feed for birds in the sector.
The association, in a statement signed by Sunday Ezeobiora, PAN’s national president, alongside Onallo Akpa, the director-general, said the industry needs the intervention of the government, or it risks collapsing totally and putting over 25 million jobs at stake in the industry, according to a Leadership report.
Source: UGC
It directed its frustration at the CBN for blocking developments in the sector even though it acknowledged that recent government efforts had seen positive multiplier effects in the industry, particularly the import restriction of frozen chicken.
With the current dispensation, the association said the poultry industry is frustrated by the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) as well as the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR) under the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
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What poultry farmers want
PAN noted that the central bank cancelled allocating 40,000 metric tons of maise meant to facilitate poultry production. It accused the bank of also stopping farmers from lifting the maise, causing the prices of maise to go up in the market.
The statement read in part:
At the moment, the poultry industry in Nigeria is on the verge of total collapse if urgent intervention is not channelled to it without further delays, we are aware that the government have declared a State of Emergency on the food security situation of the country, but the situation of the poultry industry calls for an urgent intervention to save the industry from total collapse.
Proposing a solution to the possible collapse of the industry, PAN calls on the government to direct relevant ministries to salvage the situation by ensuring enough maise is churned out at affordable prices.
The association demanded that the government directs the release of 20,000 metric tons of maise by the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural from Strategic Food Reserves of the Ministry to the Poultry industry.
This, it added, should be through the Poultry Association of Nigeria at discounted prices to mitigate challenges faced in the Nigeria Poultry industry.
PAN also demanded that allocations by both organisations should be at the rate (price) per metric ton based on an understanding of the parties. It added that the organisations should be given the power to intervene in critical sectors of the economy for developmental purposes rather than for merchandise.
It, however, urged the government to focus on building the industry as part of the overall objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals.
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Bread supply threatened as rising flour costs fuel conflict between bakers and millers
In related news, Legit.ng reported how the Premium Bread Makers Association of Nigeria, PBAN, disagreed with the claim that the flour price has not increased in the last year.
This comes after the announcement by the Association of Master Bakers and Caterers of Nigeria, AMBCH, on the planned bread price hike.
Emmanuel Onuorah, President of PBAN, accused the flour millers of implementing another increase in the price of flour after the naira devaluation.
Source: Legit.ng
