The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on feed millers to reduce the cost of finished feed following the recent significant decline in the prices of maize and soya, the major components of poultry feed.

The appeal comes as consumers continue to grapple with high prices of eggs and chicken despite government’s intervention in importing grains to ease the cost of production.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Business Morning programme yesterday, Vice Chairman of PAN, Ogun State, Ahmed Alli revealed that while maize prices have dropped from N800 to N300 per kilogramme and soya from N1,200 to N500 per kilogramme, the price of finished feed remains unchanged.

“The price of feed for layer birds is still between N15,000 and N17,000 per 25kg bag, while feed for broilers costs between N20,000 and N22,000. This is despite the sharp drop in grain prices,” Alli said.

He explained that feed constitutes 65 to 70 percent of poultry farmers’ input costs, directly determining the price of eggs and chicken in the market.

The poultry industry, valued at approximately N12 trillion (about $8 billion), provides employment for over 20 million Nigerians and contributes 25 percent to the country’s agricultural GDP.

The association recently organised a maiden Poultry Nexus Summit in Abeokuta, Ogun State, bringing together stakeholders across the value chain to address challenges in the industry.

Alli noted that the industry has historically operated in silos, with farmers, hatchery operators, and input sellers working in isolation. The summit aimed to foster collaboration and identify collective solutions.

One major challenge identified was the high cost of day-old chicks. The price of broiler day-old chicks surged from N500 in December 2023 to N1,700 currently, while pullet chicks cost between N2,000 and N2,200.

“There was a sharp drop in pullet stock production in 2023, reducing the overall production of chicks,” Alli explained. “We’ve advised farmers to plan ahead and book day-old chicks through the association to get concessions.”

The PAN official called on the newly created Ministry of Livestock to intervene and engage the Feed Industry Practitioners Association of Nigeria (FIPAN) on bringing down feed costs.

“The Ministry of Livestock needs to step in and talk to the feed operators. Once the price of feed comes down, the price of eggs and chicken will follow,” he stated.

Alli assured consumers that farmers would reduce prices once input costs decrease, emphasizing that high production costs are inevitably transferred to consumers.

The association has submitted a communiqué from the Poultry Nexus Summit to the Ministry of Livestock for consideration and action.

Looking ahead to 2026, Alli expressed concern about the sustainability of relying on imported grains to stabilize food prices.

He argued that while importation provides short-term relief, the government needs medium and long-term strategies to support local farmers in producing at competitive prices.

“Government should work with poultry farmers and other agricultural producers to ensure we can produce food at the same cost or cheaper than imports,” he said. “Continuous importation will kick our farmers out of business and make us dependent on foreign supplies.”

The PAN vice chairman emphasized that agricultural production requires proper planning and cannot deliver instant results, urging stakeholders to begin preparations now for sustainable food supply throughout the year.

The association plans to convene another session of the Poultry Nexus to continue dialogue with feed millers and other stakeholders in the value chain.