Nigeria’s poultry industry, valued at N12 trillion, is on the verge of collapse as the government lifts the ban on importing poultry products, according to the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN).
The association, which represents over 180 million birds and employs millions of Nigerians, has called on the government to review its decision and address the sector’s challenges.
The PAN made this appeal during the opening ceremony of the Nigeria Poultry Show in Abeokuta, with the theme “Mitigating the challenges of the poultry industry: Current perspectives, the role of government and the private sector”.
The South-West Zone Chairman of PAN, Mr Gideon Oluleye, said that the poultry industry is currently grappling with many challenges, including the rising poultry feed costs, which greatly impacts the sector.
He said that the lifting of the ban on poultry products would expose the local industry to unfair competition from foreign producers, who enjoy subsidies and lower production costs.
He said: “Lifting the ban on poultry products will collapse the poultry industry in Nigeria. Rather, the government should support us by facilitating easy access to loans.”
He also urged the government to help with marketing the local products by collaborating with the poultry industry through policies like the school feeding programme, as well as feeding at the correctional centres and internally displaced person (IDP) centres.
“These are situations where poultry products can be included in the feeding scheme,” he said.
The National President of PAN, Mr. Sunday Ezeobiora, also expressed concerns about the high production costs within the poultry industry and identified funding, infrastructure, and marketing as some of the prevailing challenges it currently confronts.
He said: “If these are not handled well, they may kill the poultry industry in Nigeria.”
The PAN’s statement comes a month after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) lifted the restriction on importers of some 43 items on access to foreign exchange in the official window. One of those items was poultry products, such as chicken, turkey and eggs.
The poultry industry has been struggling with different issues, such as the high cost of feeds, the shortage of maize and soybean, the 5% tariff on the import of maize, and the regulation of import permits.
The PAN said that these factors have led to the closure of hundreds of farms across the country and the downsizing of the capacities of others.
The poultry industry is crucial in providing eggs, a vital source of affordable protein for millions of Nigerians. The industry also contributes to the country’s food security, economic growth, and employment generation.
The PAN appealed to the government to reconsider its policy and work with the association to ensure the survival and sustainability of the poultry industry in Nigeria.
The association also expressed its optimism that the poultry industry will overcome its current challenges and continue to grow and thrive in the future.
Source: Nairametrics
