Series of unrest in the country are taking a toll on the Agriculture sector, as poultry farmers across the country lose billions of naira to glut.
A recent market survey carried out by Daily Times revealed a drop in the price of egg, despite the hike in fuel price and also commodity prices in the country.
The Chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Oyo State chapter, Eng. J. Olateju, in an interview, revealed that the slash in price was as a result of a glut in the system which is forcing the farmers to sell at ridiculously lower prices just to push the product which cannot be kept for more than three weeks.
Fifty percent of poultry products produced mostly in the south western states are exported out of the country via the Maiduguri, Sokoto and Katsina borders, with "transloading" centres at Abuja, Kano and Maiduguri.
The northern part of the country has also been a major market for most poultry products, especially eggs, since the region does not favour large scale poultry farming.
A three-fold crisis
The crisis rocking the poultry industry is three-fold. Consequent upon activities of the Boko-Haram sect, the Federal Government responded by temporarily shutting her borders around the troubled areas. This decision greatly impeded the flow of products, especially poultry products, across these borders. Thereby keeping the 50% meant for export within the country's borders. This accounted for the glut in the system, since intermediaries refused to load eggs from farms, as "transloading centres", which have limited capacities, were unable to push their stocks too.
Also, it was discovered that between Ibadan and Abuja there are more than 100 monitoring points that request vehicles conveying eggs to offload about 50% of their consignment. This tedious measure is frustrating intermediaries who are struggling to trade. This rigor is not restricted to intermediaries as even the big farmers, like Obasanjo farms, with escorts, are subjected to similar treatment. Farmers are literally begging the intermediaries to have the eggs even without immediate payment, Olateju lamented.
The third factor contributing to the glut is the increase in price of Soya beans. Soya beans is the main source of protein for poultry feeds. Before the fuel subsidy removal a bag of Soya was selling for between N60,000 and N65,000 but it presently sell for between N115,000 and N130,000. The glut thus decimates the finances of the farmers as there is about 100 percent increase in the cost of feeding the birds and an inverse reduction in the cost of poultry products.
Some of the poultry farmers Daily Times spoke with lamented the loss that has come with the glut, which shows no sign of abating as the borders remain close and Boko-Haram attacks continue in the Northern parts of the country.
One of the farmers, Elder Taiwo claimed he has been losing more than N500,000 weekly as the poultry birds continue to eat.
"Poultry birds don't want to know whether there is any glut or Boko-Haram anywhere, you must feed them if you want them to be at optimum performance. I lose about N500,000 weekly and my farm is just a small one, now imagine the big farms."
Government Response
Olateju said that "the industry is now at the point of extinction, and it will not be in the interest of any government because this sector is the largest employer of labour. Most people in the civil service are looking at the industry as one they could retire into and the government is encouraging graduates to enter into Agriculture... but with this, who will want to take the risk?"
"In an ideal society, one would expect the government to mop up the eggs so as to provide a cushioning effect for the farmers who are going through a very difficult time that could run some of them aground."
Government response has been noncommittal in the least. Olateju claimed the Poultry Association of Nigeria had written the Minister for Agriculture and some state commissioners but they were yet to receive any reply.
As these barriers continue to impede poultry trading within the country, it is left to see if the recent news of Boko-Haram agreeing to come to the negotiation table with the government will assuage the plight of the poultry farmers.
Source: Daily Times NG
