Poultry farmers in the Southwest under the aegis of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), on Thursday, raised the alarm over their plight, calling on the Federal Government and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to save their business from total collapse.
This is just as they lamented that the naira redesign policy by the Federal Government, has brought untold hardship on them and their investments across the nation, particularly in the Southwest.
The Southwest Chairman of PAN, Rev. Gideon Oluleye, while speaking in Ibadan, on Thursday, during a press conference, said though they are not against the policy, its timing and implementation have devastated their business.
He stated that the losses incurred by farmers are heavy because many farms have already collapsed with others running at half capacity while many will soon close down if the government fails to intervene, noting that to save the poultry subsector of the economy which generates about six percent of the GDP from total collapse, the Federal Government with CBN and other agencies of government must intervene.
Oluleye who was flanked by PAN Chairmen from Oyo, Omidokun Oyekunle, Iyiola Mojeed (Lagos), Alonge Oluwasetemi (Ekiti) Fadipe Olawande (Ondo), Idowu Asenuga (Ogun) and Alaba Towoju (Osun) and other leaders of the association, explained that polices such as increment in interest rate have affected the industry negatively, lamenting that the current security challenges across the country has also affected the industry negatively.
He enjoined the Federal Government to re-introduce the school feeding programme so as to absolve some of the eggs and chicken meat from the farmers, while also urging the Federal Government to intervene in subsidizing major inputs particularly maize and soya much more than they have been doing before.
According to him, “In order to save the poultry subsector of the economy, generating about 6% of the G.D.P from total collapse, the Federal and State Governments, the Central Bank of Nigeria and all other agencies of government concerned, must rise up and intervene in this subsector of the economy. The intervention should come in the following areas;
“Mopping up of about 15 – 20 million crates of eggs and chicken unsold in the economy right now to ameliorate the losses of the farmers. These products should be used in feeding the people in I.D.P’s and all our correctional centres all over the country. Some could also be used in government hospital where meals are served as eggs helps in quick recovery and in building up immunity of sick patients.
“We also want the Federal Government as a matter of urgency to resuscitate the school feeding programme as eggs and chicken meat form the major component of the programme. This will go a long way in absolving some of the eggs and chicken meat from the farmers.
“We are also pleading with the Federal, States and the Central Bank of Nigeria to intervene now in subsidizing major imputes particularly maize and soya much more than they have been doing before. This will also help in ameliorating the negative impact of the naira redesign policy of the government on the farmers.
“A lot of farmers are running on loan and as a result of this crisis, they could not meet their loan obligation any more. We want the C.B.N and the Federal Government to help in defraying part of the loan and in some cases out right cancellation of the loan. This will enable farmers to recover and save the sector from collapsing.
“As an emergency measure, let the federal government constitute a committee that will begin the process of mopping up all unsold eggs and chicken meat due to naira redesign policies as these eggs are already going bad. A situation where a single farmer has a hundred thousand crates of eggs unsold in the farm now, the value of which is over two hundred million. Mopping up this eggs and chicken meat now, will be a good measure in preventing the sector from imminent collapse.”
Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
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