The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has issued a stark warning that without immediate intervention to support poultry farmers, the price of eggs could soar from the current N5,500 to N10,000 per crate. This alarming forecast was presented during a press briefing on World Egg Day, held on Saturday in Abuja.
Musa Hakeem, Secretary of PAN’s FCT Chapter, attributed the rising costs to increased transportation expenses resulting from the removal of fuel subsidies, alongside the indiscriminate price hikes in poultry feed by millers.
He emphasized the need for urgent government action, stating, “The Federal Government must, as a matter of urgency, declare a State of Emergency on egg production in the country given the serious decline in protein intake. Nigerians cannot afford to depend on the importation of eggs.”
Hakeem further explained the rationale behind the current pricing, noting, “If we should go by the proportional increase in the prices of these factors mentioned earlier, we will be buying eggs at N10,000 per crate, but because we wanted to be compassionate, coupled with the importance of eggs for health, we left the price at the current price of N5,500.” However, he cautioned that prices could soon escalate to N6,000 due to the continuing rise in poultry feed costs.
Highlighting the challenges faced by poultry farmers, Hakeem lamented that the last significant grains intervention from the government occurred three years ago. He criticized government responses as largely superficial, saying, “Other respite by the government to cushion the high prices of food are only read on the pages of the newspaper.”
He urged the government to include PAN in its intervention activities, citing the association’s comprehensive data on poultry farmers in the FCT. Hakeem expressed frustration at the neglect of the poultry subsector, stating that business owners have been left to operate independently, hoping the industry does not collapse.
Jude Arikogu, Chief Executive Officer of Pest Agro Dealers, echoed Hakeem’s concerns, highlighting the indiscriminate price increases by feed millers. He noted, “A 25kg bag of feed is hardly up to 23kg when put on our scale,” indicating a growing problem of quality and measurement discrepancies.
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Arikogu also pointed out the difficulties poultry farmers face in securing financing from banks, which are often unwilling to provide loans.
Ibrahim Lamidi, Ex-Officio Officer of PAN at the national level, reiterated that the business environment is increasingly unfavorable for poultry farmers, stating they are simply trying to ensure Nigerians have eggs on their tables. He advocated for eggs as a nutritious and more affordable protein source, encouraging Nigerians to incorporate them into their diets in place of meat.
As the poultry sector grapples with escalating costs and systemic challenges, the call for government intervention becomes increasingly urgent to prevent a potential crisis in egg production in Nigeria
