Poultry: Farmers seek policy to ensure sufficient feeds

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Badagry Chapter, Lagos state 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 an interview in Badagry, lagos state on Thursday.

According to Hunpatin, the major ingredients that is required in poultry feed production is grain, specifically maize, and it is 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.

NAN / Foluke Ibitomi