News in brief: Lagos’ Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has urgently called on the government to intervene in the poultry industry, citing the high cost and scarcity of maize, along with ongoing insecurity, as major threats leading to the industry’s collapse.
The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in Lagos State has called on the government to intervene in the poultry industry to save it from collapse. It made the call at a news conference on Wednesday.
The association bemoaned the unavailability and high cost of maize, a key ingredient in poultry feed. They also decried ongoing insecurity in the country.
Mojeed Iyiola, PAN Lagos State Chairman, said that the industry was at a ‘point of total collapse’ and needed urgent government intervention. He said that the high cost of maize had forced many poultry farmers to close shop.
Additionally, he mentioned that the egg glut, which has become an annual problem, was threatening food security. He urged the government to grant PAN the license to import maize, and to address the issue of insecurity that is affecting the productivity of crop farmers.
General Secretary of PAN Lagos, Foluso Adams, said that the association was concerned about the threat to food security posed by the poultry industry’s collapse. He asked the government to provide poultry farmers with maize, soybeans, and other feed components at affordable prices.
Furthermore, Adams said that the government should include poultry farmers in the palliatives it is providing to other sectors.
Meanwhile, PAN Agege Chapter Chairperson, Oluwatosin Oyetunde, requested that the government to tackle insecurity in order to ease farmers’ plights. She said that if insecurity was addressed, the cost and availability of maize would not be a problem to farmers.
Oyetunde urged the government to come to the aid of poultry farmers before the sector collapses.
The poultry industry is a major source of protein in Nigeria, and it employs millions of people. It is also a significant contributor to the agricultural GDP. The government’s intervention is crucial to save the poultry industry and ensure food security in Nigeria.
