Poultry

Lagos, Feb. 5 ,2024: Poultry farmers nationwide said their members lost more than N3 trillion investments from the prevailing economic hardships in 2023 the country.

The farmers, under the aegis of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State chapter, said on Monday in Lagos.

The Lagos State chapter Chairman of PAN, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, said the prevailing harsh economic situation in the country had forced majority of its members to quit the business.

Iyoha said the association lost the amount in revenue in 2023, following the massive closure of poultry farms by majority of its members who could not meet up with their financial requirements to keep their businesses afloat.

According to him, the economic impact of the massive closure of poultry farms in the country since 2023 is enormous.

“Since the  closure of about 50 per cent of poultry farms across the country, the sector has lost over N3 trillion.

“This is because in each state, we are losing actually N6 billion; so, rounding it off, we have lost trillions of Naira across all value chain of the poultry sector.

“We just want to continue to urge our members not to quit the industry in spite of the difficulties being faced,” Iyiola said.

A former Chairman of PAN, Lagos State chapter, Mr Lanre Bello, noted that the closure of such poultry farms had resulted in massive loss of jobs and incurred debts by members.

“The economic impacts of the massive closure of poultry farms across the country are numerous.

“One is the massive loss of jobs in the sector, a lot of people also lost their investments, and are now indebted because of their inability to pay back their loans.

“In essence,  the effects of the losses cannot be quantified and the only way to rectify it is to come to the rescue of poultry farmers.

“We must come to the aid of the sector because poultry remains a viable source of protein; chicken and egg I would not say is cheap but it is affordable,” Bello said.

He also restated the importance of poultry products to human diet, especially children.

“Nutritionists said eggs provide more than 50 per cent of protein requirements in human diet and also aids brain development in children.

“In most of our diets, protein is disappearing and if we allow it to continue, we will be dealing with a much dangerous problem.

“We are likely going to begin to experience stunted growth in children, which phenomenon we have started to witness ” he added.

A crate of egg now sells for between N3,200 and N3,500 depending on the size.

Lagos, Jan. 25, 2024: The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has lamented the closure of over 50 per cent of its farms in 2023 due to the challenges in the sector.

The Chairman PAN, Lagos State chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, disclosed this on Thursday in Lagos.

Iyiola said poultry farmers were unable to meet the growing demand for poultry produce due to the closure of most its farms.

“Most poultry farms in the country closed down last year due to difficulties faced in the sector.

“We are currently unable to meet up the demands of eggs due to the shortage of poultry farms. Presently, we have very low supply of eggs with growing demands.

“This is because nothing less than 50 per cent of poultry farms around the country have shut down.

“In fact, due to the shortage of supply, a crate of egg sells for as high as N3,000 and above even from the farm gate.

“We do not pray that the price keeps increasing because it is detrimental to the average consumer,” Iyiola said.

Iyiola said the sector would only prosper with continuous interventions of the government at all levels, especially in subsidising feed inputs.

“We hope to step up supply of eggs if the cost of raw materials for bird feed is subsidised and available at the most affordable rate. This is the best solution for the sector at the moment.

“The Lagos State Government to be candid is trying on their own part; they have been of great assistance to the sector in all our trials.

“They have provided feed inputs to poultry farmers which have to a minimal extent cushioned the effect of production costs.

“Though poultry produce prices are still on the high side. We hope to start raising layers soon and we believe in no distant time government will respond to us positively,” the chairman said.

Lagos, Jan. 4, 2024: The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called for continuous support of the Federal Government through grains intervention in 2024.

They made the call in on Wednesday in Lagos with the Chairman of PAN, Lagos chapter, Mr Mojeed Iyiola, saying that the sector would only prosper with continuous interventions of the government at all levels.

“This year we want the government at all levels to engage in more interventions in feed production for local farmers.

“We have problems in input procurement, most especially in reference to maize and soya.

“We will like to appreciate the Lagos State Government for their interventions last year in respect to maize for feed milling.

“We also appeal to the Federal Government to fulfil its promise in the provision of substantial amount of maize for poultry farmers.

“We hope to start seeing the maize intervention from the Federal Government will start rolling in.

“We believe 2024 will be a profitable year for poultry farmers with these interventions,” Iyiola said.

Iyiola, however, commended the Federal Government for its support in the sector in the previous year.

“We commend the government’s efforts so far, but if they can fulfil all the promises they made to us will help boost productivity of the sector.

“The maize intervention of last year has so far helped to bring down the price of maize in the general market to a large extent.

“However, if the interventions do not continue, the price of maize will increase again in no distance time.

“Though we have not gotten any relief in terms of soya, so we are still expecting more.

“We produce soya beans locally but most of it is smuggled out of the country, so we appeal to the government to stop it,” he added.

Also speaking, Mr Godwin Egbebe, the National Publicity Secretary, PAN, called on the government to curtail the smuggling of local grains to neighbouring countries.

Egbede said the major problem of the poultry was the high price of grains.

“We want the government to put an end to the exportation/smuggling of our grains to neighbouring countries like Togo, Ghana and Benin Republic.

“We hope all these will be corrected this year. We need to be self-sufficient locally before we start exportation of our grains.

“We need bailouts for the sector this year, and these bailouts must be strategic.

“We need to ensure they get to the right farmers. The government has been doing bailouts for the sector but most times it is not directed to the right people.

“The government should ensure the implementation of its bailouts is well carried out, so as to reach the right farmers,” Egbebe said.

Abuja, Oct. 13, 2023: Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) FCT Chapter says it has lost over N6 billion due to cash crunch resulting from the CBN cashless policy, subsidy removal on fuel, forex and ban on importation of maize and soybeans.

Hon. Musa Hakeem, Secretary PAN FCT said this on Friday in Abuja at the commemoration of the World Egg Day.

The World Egg Day is commemorated annually on second Friday of October and the theme for 2023 is “Egg for a healthy future”.

Hakeem listed other challenged bedeviling the industry as high rate of diseases, lack of access to credit facilities, high cost of feed, poor quality chicks, cost of veterinary services, lack of technical knowledge, high mortality rate among others.

He decried that the challenge had led to astronomical increase in poultry feed resulting to closure of no fewer than 127 poultry farms in FCT and reduction in the purchasing power of the consumers.

Hakeem specifically noted that the removal of subsidy on fuel has made movement of poultry and poultry products from one destination to the other very difficult.

The secretary who commended the Minister of FCT Nyesom Wike and FCT Minister of State however called on the FCT administration to come to the aid of farmers to reverse increase in unemployment rate and security challenge currently bedeviling the country.

Hakeem identified the industry as the largest employer of labour urging the minister to harness the inherent potentials in the industry and protect the investment in order to attract more investors.

He further called on the interventions of the Federal Government President Bola Tinubu and the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to reverse the current trend and save the industry from total collapse.

“We call on the Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation to carry PAN along in the ministry’s ‘Home Grown School Feeding programme in area of egg supply.

” This collaboration will create wealth and employment along supply chain, “he said.

Hakeem says “World Egg Day is an opportunity to make everyone aware that eggs are excellent, cheapest sources of high quality nutrient.

“Egg has socio-economic roles which include means of livelihood, achieving a certain level of economic independence, meeting human needs for dietary animal protein supply.

” Also investment and security against risks for small scale poultry farmers, “.

According to him, an egg is one of the most environmentally sustainable and cost-effective animal-source proteins available.

Also, Durojaiye Okodu, Chief Executive Officer, First Agro-Delight Nigeria, said egg is the cheapest source of protein and vitamins

Okodu said if egg is properly harness it would help in nations building through children development.

“An egg a day makes a different in families.

Present at the commemoration are Ibrahim Lamidi, Ex Official PAN North Central and Abdullahi Abduljabar member of PAN.

Badagry (Lagos State), Sept. 15, 2023: The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Badagry Chapter,  has urged the Federal Government to initiate policies that will ensure sufficient feeds in the Nigeria market.

Mr Tunde Hunpatin, the Chairman, PAN, Badagry Chapter, made the appeal in Badagry on Thursday and worried that maize, the major ingredients that required in poultry feed production was no longer available.

“The government needs to initiate a policy whereby we will have sufficient grains in the market.

“If possible, they have to bring grains from our neighbouring countries at subsidised cost so that more poultry farmers will have feeds for their chicken.

“Anything less than this cannot work,” he said.

The chairman said that the Federal Government’s foreign exchange policy was not favourable to the poultry farmers.

“Dollar is the major foreign exchange that an average manufacturer of agricultural feeds makes use of and it is on the high side.

“The government should encourage production of maize by giving tractors to farmers.

“They should also release grains from the national reserve, because when we don’t have enough, why are we reserving?” Hunpatin queried.

He lamented that a good number of small-scale poultry farms had become moribund on account of exorbitant prices of critical ingredients in feed formulation.

Hunpatin said that the cost of grains, which was the heart of poultry feeds, had skyrocketed in the market, making many small-scale poultry farmers to sell their chicken and shut their farms.

“Poultry farmers in Badagry and Lagos are closing down their farms because the price of feeds is on high side.

“We buy feeds at exorbitant prices and when we sell our poultry products, we do not get any income.

“At present, no farmer is breaking even not to talk of making profits, our members are negatively affected by the galloping price of maize,” the PAN chairman said.

Abuja, Aug. 30, 2023: The African Union Development Agency – New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD) Nigeria, has empowered no fewer than 100 women and youths on poultry farming in Ososo, Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo.

This is contained in a statement signed by Mr Marcel Anyatonwu, Communication Officer, AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria, on Tuesday in Abuja.

Ms Gloria Akobundu, National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer, AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria said the three-day capacity building workshop was organised under the Comprehensive Africa Agricultural Development Programme (CAADP).

Akobundu, who was represented by Mr Zacchaeus Akerejola, Director, Programmes Development and Implementation Department, said the programme aimed at increasing poultry products in the country and enable the participants to be economically empowered.

She said that the overall objective of the programme is in line with the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu, which focuses on national food security, improved employment opportunities among others.

According to her, the workshop provided the participants with knowledge on essential building and equipment, incubation of eggs, hatchery management, principles for successful production, breeds and breeding, brooding of chicks and management techniques.

She urged the participants to put to use all they were taught during the training for both personal and national good.

Dr Onotu Yahaya, a lecturer at Auchi Polytechnic and a resource person at the training, said the country imports 13.8 million tons of chicken annually because of its inability to meet its poultry food demands.

Onotu, who appreciated AUDA-NEPAD Nigeria for the empowerment programme, added that importation of poultry products had so far contributed to the high rate of unemployment in the country, depletion of foreign reserve among others.

He said the said that aside the nutritional value of chicken, every part of it including its feathers are useful as they can be used for the production of dashboard and furniture.

The highpoint of the workshop was the presentation of starter packs to the participants, which include; birds, feeds, drinkers, feeders and a comprehensive training manual on poultry farming.