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Stakeholders list steps to sustaining poultry industry

By Isaac Taiwo
30 October 2016   |   1:52 am
Rising from its just concluded Pan-Lagos Poultry Show and Exhibition, organised by Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter (PANLAG), with the theme: “Sustaining The Poultry Industry, The Way Out”...
National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr. Ayoola Oduntan (l); Chairman, International Poultry Academy, Alhaji Lanre Bello; Chairman, PAN, Lagos State Chapter, Prince Adetoyi Ezekiel Olabode; and Chairman, Tuns Farm Limited, Alhaji Tunde Badmus, at the Annual Pan-Lagos Poultry Show and Exhibition, held in Lagos.

National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr. Ayoola Oduntan (l); Chairman, International Poultry Academy, Alhaji Lanre Bello; Chairman, PAN, Lagos State Chapter, Prince Adetoyi Ezekiel Olabode; and Chairman, Tuns Farm Limited, Alhaji Tunde Badmus, at the Annual Pan-Lagos Poultry Show and Exhibition, held in Lagos.

Rising from its just concluded Pan-Lagos Poultry Show and Exhibition, organised by Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter (PANLAG), with the theme: “Sustaining The Poultry Industry, The Way Out”, stakeholders in the poultry industry have been urged to work in tandem with their leaders to overcome pressing challenges facing the industry.

They also appealed to government to give the industry enabling environment to operate, by providing easy access to Central Bank of Nigeria’s Agric intervention Funds at single digit interest rate; to place ban on export of maize and soya; make special foreign exchange available for inputs that are not available in Nigeria, especially for single vitamins, single minerals, enzymes, veterinary drugs; declare state of emergency in the poultry industry to save it from going into extinction; and to abolish multiple taxation, among others.

Former National President, Poultry Association of Nigeria and Chairman, Tuns Farm Limited, Alhaji Tunde Badmus, assured members of a bright future if only they can believe in the leadership, both at the state and national levels.

The current National President of the Association, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, said no meaningful improvement can be achieved without members believing and supporting the leadership.

In his message, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture, Dr. Shakirudeen Onasanya, told members that sustenance of the industry was the only way out.

“The Poultry sector contributes 25 per cent to agricultural domestic products of Nigeria economy and has a large capacity to create employment,” he said. In his welcome address, the Chairman of PANLAG, Prince Adetoyi Ezekiel Olabode hinged the accelerated 85 per cent cost of feeds in poultry production, away from the normal 65-70 per cent on negative impact of naira devaluation, high cost of feeds materials, including maize, soya, premixes and other additives.

“To make the matter worst, banks’ interest rates hover around 30 per cent with the loan not even available, while the sales of end products like eggs and chickens are not attractive.  Farmers are making loses everyday as they cannot sell their products at break even point product, not to talk of making profit,” he lamented.

As a way out, he urged the government to give poultry industry an enabling environment to operate, make possible easy access to CBN Agric intervention Funds at single digit interest rate, ban export of maize and soya that create artificial scarcity, make special foreign exchange available for the input that are not available in Nigeria, especially for single vitamins, single minerals, enzymes, veterinary drugs.

Folashade Aderoju of British High Commission assured the association of the British High Commission’s readiness to help members grow their businesses through procurement of necessary equipment, as the Commission was engaged in promoting bilateral trade between United Kingdom and Nigeria.

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