The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has decried the high cost of maize prices and the scarcity of the product which is causing farmers to close down their poultry farms.
The inability to feed the birds and sustain businesses is putting over 25 million jobs in the value chain at stake as maize is one of the primary ingredients used in the production of feeds for birds.
This negative economic outlook was contained in a statement issued by the leadership of the PAN in Abuja on Monday.
PAN in the statement jointly signed by its director-general, Dr Onallo Akpa and the national president, Sunday Ezeobiora, accused the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for frustrating developments in the sector.
Although the association acknowledged recent government efforts especially the import restriction of frozen chicken which saw positive multiplier effects on the growth of the sector, it however said in the current dispensation and scheme of things, the poultry industry is being frustrated by the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
According to them, the CBN had cancelled the allocation of 40,000 metric tons of maize to assist poultry production in the country and stopped poultry farmers from lifting the maize, the development which is majorly contributing to the high prices of maize in the markets.
“At the moment, the poultry industry in Nigeria is on the verge of total collapse if urgent intervention is not channelled to it without further delays, we are aware that the government have declared a State of Emergency on the food security situation of the country, but the situation of the poultry industry calls for an urgent intervention to save the industry from total collapse.
In order to salvage the poultry industry from the imminent collapse it is witnessing, the leadership of the Poultry Association of Nigeria prays as follows; directing both the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which manages the Strategic Maize Reserve Programme (SMRP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to FREE the allocations of 40,000 metric tons to the Poultry industry through the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN)”, the statement reads in parts.
“That the Government should direct the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural to release 20,000 Metric Tons of Maize from the Strategic Food Reserves of the Ministry to the Poultry industry through the Poultry Association of Nigeria at discounted prices so as to mitigate the current challenges to the Poultry industry in the country.
That the allocations by both organizations should be at the rate (price) per metric ton that the allocations were made understanding that these organisations are to intervene in critical sectors of the economy for developmental purposes and not merchandise”, PAN added.
The association further stressed that the poultry industry is the low hanging fruit to achieve the overall objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals ( SDG), and providing employments while producing affordable home grown proteins to Nigerians and therefore every effort and support should be given to the subsector to prevent it from collapse
