October 15, 2022

 

Nigeria poultry association blames reduced egg supply to low output

 

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) said the declining egg supply in the country was due to low production in the industry and rising input costs, News Agency of Nigeria reported.

 

Godwin Egbebe, the chairman of PAN in Lagos State, said a number of farms had to close down owing to the tough reality of the industry, which had led to a short supply of eggs.

 

He said that the lack of eggs and the rising prices of produce are not improbable given the number of chicken farms that have already closed or are on the verge of doing so, adding that a  variety of problems in the agricultural sector have led to the high cost of farm inputs and feed meal components.

 

Egbebe said crop farmers have long lamented the lack of security, which has led to an increase in their cultivation costs. This is also taken into account when determining the price of the raw materials used to make poultry feed.

 

Egbebe also said demand now exceeds supply as more poultry farms have closed.

 

The PAN chair also mentioned that, as a result of the problems encountered, the egg glut (a condition of excessive egg production) was now a thing of the past in the industry.

 

To remedy the inherent deficiencies, he demanded government assistance to legitimate farmers in the industry.

 

Egbebe said the government should provide bailouts to genuine farmers, and because they are able to identify their members, this should be done through the poultry associations.

 

He said people should be held accountable and farmers should be able to directly observe how government support affects the industry.

 

The price of an egg crate at the farm gate might reach NGN 2,000 (~US$4.62; NGN 100 = US$0.23) per crate, and the retail price ranges from NGN 2,300 (~US$5.31) to NGN 2,500 (~US$5.77).

 

-      News Agency of Nigeria