Poultry Farmer wants lift of ban on maize importation
The Chairman, Erikorodo Poultry Farm Estate, Ikorodu, Mrs Juliana Ibitoye has appealed to the Federal Government to lift the ban on importation of maize.
Ibitoye said on Wednesday that lifting the ban would reduce the cost of production and price of poultry feed.
She said that it would also help the farmers to sustain their businesses as well as to save the sector from total collapse.
Ibitoye said that many farmers are boycotting broiler production for Christmas due to the high cost of feed.
She said that only very few farmers raised broiler this year unlike previous years that almost everybody would have chicken for sales during Yuletide.
She added that catfish farmers were also affected adding that the shortage of maize production has created a general problem for both sectors.
“Everything is expensive now. The price of feeds and charcoal are on the high side.
“We cannot increase the price of birds because of our customer’s willingness to buy.
“There will be supply but it might not be enough because many farmers boycotted broilers. I did not raise broiler for Christmas because of the cost,’’ she said.
Ibitoye said that poultry farmers are now into egg production in order to sustain their businesses.
“There will be chicken but I don’t know the price if the chickens are not much the price will go up.
“We have about 100 members in our farm estate and majority of them did not raise broiler for Christmas. Many of us raised old layer. I have my layers that are laying eggs and i just sell them.
“In fact, I have a house for broiler production but the cost of producing and margin of profit is just too minimal and discouraging,” she said.
Ibitoye urged the government to find a lasting solution to challenges confronting the poultry sector through loan, grants and inputs.
“The way out of this problem is for the government to sit down and fashion out how they are going to help farmers so that many farms will not fold-up.
“Government assistance can come in form of loan, grant, or inputs. There should be thorough monitoring mechanism to oversee whatever government is giving out to people,’’ she said.