The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has expressed its concerns over scarcity of maize, as one of the primary ingredients in the production of feeds for birds in the market, thereby putting over 25 million jobs in the value chain at stake.
Accordingly, the high prices of maize in the markets was aggravated as the CBN cancelled the allocation of 40,000 metric tons to assist poultry production in the country and stopped poultry farmers from lifting the maize.
“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”.
Meanwhile, PAN urged the Federal Government of Nigeria to; “Direct 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”.
“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 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
