Poultry Association of Nigeria urges increased government support to revive industry in 2024

NIGERIA – The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called upon the federal government to provide continuous support, particularly through grain intervention, as part of measures to revive the poultry industry in the country.

The chairman of PAN in Lagos, Mojeed Iyiola, expressed gratitude for the government’s support in the previous year and emphasized the importance of sustained interventions for the prosperity of the sector.

Mr. Iyiola highlighted key challenges faced by poultry farmers, specifically in input procurement, particularly maize and soya.

He commended the Lagos state government for its interventions in maize supply for feed milling and appealed to the federal government to fulfill its promise of substantial maize provisions for poultry farmers.

“We hope to start seeing the maize intervention from the federal government, which will start rolling in. We believe 2024 will be a profitable year for poultry farmers with these interventions,” he added.

However, PAN’s national publicity secretary, Godwin Egbebe, raised concerns about the smuggling of local grains to neighboring countries, contributing to the high prices of grains within the country.

Mr. Egbede urged the government to curtail such activities and emphasized the need for self-sufficiency before considering exportation.

“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,” stated Mr. Egbebe, stressing the importance of targeted support to benefit the intended recipients.

In related news, the Cameroon Poultry Interprofessional Association (Ipavic) recently announced its intention to standardize farmgate chicken prices, aiming for CFA2,300 for chickens weighing between 1.8 and 2 kg.

However, the proposal faced resistance from industry professionals, with the Association of Broiler Chicken Producers in the Littoral and Southwest (Appolis) arguing that the suggested price did not align with the actual production costs.

Appolis proposed adjusting the kilogram price to CFA1,500, resulting in a farmgate price of CFA3,000 for a 2 kg chicken, contrasting Ipavic’s set price of CFA2,300.

The disagreement highlighted the complexities of aligning industry stakeholders on standardized pricing and the need for effective collaboration to address issues within the poultry sector.

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