POULTRY INDUSTRY A TRILLION NAIRA INVESTMENT IN NIGERIA FACES IMMINENT COLLAPSE AS PRICES OF MAIZE, SOYA BEANS, SOYA BEANS MEAL AND FINISHED FEED RISES UNABATEDLY

The Poultry Industry is the most capitalised in the Agric Sector with its worth estimated to be about a Trillion naira and employing over a million Nigerians directly and indirectly through its wide value chain from the field to fork. The Federal Government also in recent times in trying to solve the unemployment problems have committed a lot of resources in engaging the Nigerian Youths in Broiler Production using the Anchor Borrowers Programme. 

Poultry Association of Nigeria Ogun State holding a reasonable percentage of the total national poultry population wish to alert the Federal Government, The Nigerian Governors Forum, The South West Governors Forum, The Governor of Ogun State, the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigerian Customs and all relevant agencies that this industry faces an imminent collapse if urgent interventions are not instituted.

FOUR MONTHS TABULAR ANALYSIS OF PRICE CHANGE IN RAW MATERIALS, COMMERCIAL FEEDS, EGGS AND POULTRY MEAT  

	AUG.   ₦:K	SEPT    ₦:K	OCT.     ₦:K	NOV.   ₦:K	INCR/DECR     %
MAIZE/TON	170,000:00	170,000:00-180,000	140,000:00-152,000	125000 -145000	-14.71
SOYA/TON	115,000:00	125,000:00	150,000:00	215,000:00	+86.95
COMMERCIAL FEEDS/25KG	3,300:00	3,6000	3,950:00	4,400:00	+33.33
EGGS/CRATE (FARMGATE	800:00	850-900	900-950	950-1050:00	+25
1KG LIVE WEIGHT BROILER	600	650-700	700-750	700-750	+25

From the above sketch, in August 2020 Maize and Soya were sold at ₦170,000:00 &l ₦115,000:00 per ton respectively with Market Price of Commercial Finished feeds at an average price of ₦3300 per bag of 25kg

While the price of Maize remained at ₦170,000:00 per ton in September, Soya jumped to ₦125,000:00 with feeds at ₦3600

In October, while the farmers were glad of a small decrease in Maize to ₦152,000:00/ ton, Soya rose again to ₦150,000:00/ton, Commercial Feeds then was ₦3959:00

As at today, Maize is ₦145,000:00, Soya ₦215,000:00 and Commercial Feeds at ₦4,400:00 while the market is already resisting a tray of egg for above 1000.

Intelligence gatherings on issues around price increases in maize and soya reveals 

▪️Hoarding of the Maize and Soya by Merchants thereby causing artificial scarcity 

▪️Export of processed Soya Bean Meal by some millers.

▪️Poor harvest due to low quality seeds, climate change, insecurity in the

 grains producing zones amongst other factors.

We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Ministry of Agriculture for a quick intervention in the following areas.

▪️Immediate ban on the export of processed Soyabeans and Soya Bean Meal until local consumption is sustained and guaranteed 

Approve Importation of Animal Feed Grade Grains to cushion effect of the feed crisis

▪️The CBN through its Development Finance Department to facilitate a working relationship between the producers (grain farmers) and the consumers (poultry farmers) to check the profiteering tendencies of the merchants

▪️Intensify efforts on dry season farming to improve production capacity while not neglecting the quality of the seed to ensure high yield to reduce high cost of production per hectare.

We also use this medium to call on the Commercial Feeds Millers to show some level of consideration in their pricing as the survival of the Poultry Farmers is directly related to the continued existence of the Millers.