By Eseoghene Emuke
The Delta State chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has raised the alarm that over 600 poultry farms in the state are in the verge of shutting down of operation of the scarcity and high cost of maize for the feeding of their birds.
Maize is a major component in the formulation of poultry ration and in Delta it is largely unavailable for farmers despite the high cost.
Delta PAN chairman, Chief Eric Tomfawei, who raised the alarm, lamented that the cost was above the reach of poultry farmers in the state.
Tomfawei, who spoke at a briefing in Asaba, the state capital, on Thursday explained the cost of the feed rose by over 75% from N225,000 to N405,000 per tonne.
He stated that if over 600 poultry farms were allowed to shut down in the current economy in the state, thousands of Delta youths will be jobless.
The body posited that asides job losses, there would be astronomical increment in birds as well as hunger across Delta and its neigbouring states.
He stressed that despite the recent increase in maize, farmers in Delta are unable to increase prices because many farmers are already experiencing gluts in egg and broiler production.
Tomfawei appealed to relevant government agency to release adequate quantities of maize from the Strategic Food Reserve to the poultry industry at discounted rate to address the spiralling cost of maize.
He said, “There’s also the need for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural to release enough quantity of maize from the Strategic Food Reserves of the Ministry to the Poultry Industry through the Poultry Association of Nigeria at discounted prices to address this situation.”
He warned of youth restiveness in the Niger-Delta due to the hanging spectre of farm closures and the inevitability of youths in the sector being laid off, stressing that “apart from the direct impact on hunger crisis, more youths, who are engaged by the poultry industry, will be thrown back into the labour market with attendant security implication”.
He alleged that poultry farmers are being frustrated by the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by its cancellation of allocations of 40,000 metric tonnes of maize meant to assist poultry farmers.
Tomfawei accused officials of the Nigeria Commodity Exchange and the Strategic Food Reserve of CBN of hoarding of maize and urged President Tinubu to set up an investigative panel to get to the root of the problem.
He urged support for the poultry industry to prevent its imminent collapse, and warned of the country becoming a dumping ground for imported poultry products, if the right steps are not taken.
Tomfawei urged Gov Sheriff Oborevwori to address the issue of egg and broiler glut crisis affecting poultry farmers in the State.
