Agency Chairman Tasks Nigerian Government On Prioritizing Agriculture

Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Lagos State chapter, Mr Godwin Egbebe, has called on Federal Government and State Governments in Nigeria to make agriculture topmost on their list in order not to make Nigeria an angry nation because “an hungry nation is an angry nation”.

Egbebe stated this while welcoming guests and other participants to the year 2022 annual symposium of the association themed:“Post COVID-19Effects On Poultry Industry:Way Out” held at the 500-seater Hall, Lagos State University of Science and Technology, Ikorodu, Lagos State.

He noted that government must try as much as possible to come up with policies capable of helping farmers to boost their productivity, as this will not only guarantee food security, but also strengthen the economy of the country.

Egbebe, who informed that the poultry industry is the most hit of every business during the COVID-19 rage because of its volatility, said farms are closing daily and people are losing jobs and being thrown into the already saturated unemployment market.

He further said that,the price of maize as of 2019 was between N90,000 and n120,000 per ton, but as we speak today, a ton of maize is going for between N250,000 and N270,000 which is over 100 percent increase, while a crate of egg was sold for N1,000 and N1,200 in 2019, but now selling for between N1,800 and N2,000.

“As we all know that maize is the major ingredients for poultry industry as it amounts to about 70 percent of materials used for the poultry feeds. In 2020, when the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) intervened with supply of maize to farmers, maize price was stabilized for a long time because there was no hoarding but that did not continue, more reason we find ourselves where we are now.”

Nigerian Tribune