The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, has assured residents of a drop in the price of poultry produce following the intervention of the Lagos State Government’s Ounje Eko Phase 2 farmers’ subsidy programme.

PAN Vice President and Chairman of the Aiyedoto Poultry Farmers Settlement, Mr Foluso Adams, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.

NAN reports that the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems has announced the commencement of Phase II of the Ounje Eko recently to cut down food prices ahead of the yuletide.

Adams noted that the subsidy would go a long way to help local farmers as well as prompt a drop in the price of poultry produce.

“The Ounje Eko Farmers’ Subsidy Programme will definitely go a long way to cut down the price of poultry produce during the yuletide.

“We expect to drop the price of crates of eggs from N5,500 and N6,000 to about N5,100 and N5,300.

“The intervention will help because, with the discount they have given us, the poultry farmers have even sat down to reduce the price,” Adams said.

The PAN Vice President, however, noted that not all farmers would benefit from the intervention because of the brand of feed being distributed.

“However, the thing is, it is only the Animal Care brand that they are offering, and some farmers use other brands of feed.

“We have already told our members to benefit from the subsidy and that they are going to contribute back to society by reducing the price.

“There is even a letter to that effect. We will have a meeting later at Alausa, and we have told the government we have reduced the price so that people can see the impact of what the government has done.

“The materials will start arriving on Wednesday, and from our settlement, we have 50 farmers as beneficiaries.

“With this intervention, other feed processors are also bringing down the price of their commodities so that they will not lose their customers.

“These processors don’t want to go out of the market as that is their source of income and livelihood,” the Vice President said.

According to him, the price reduction will also affect the sales of chicken during the new yuletide season. “We expect the prices of chicken to drop also, but discussions are still ongoing as regards that.

“If other states tap into what the Lagos State Government is doing, the price of poultry produce will drastically come down during the yuletide season,” he said.