High cost of feeds, insecurity worries Abuja poultry farmers
The Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch, has lamented the high cost of feeds and the prevailing insecurity in the country, saying they are hampering the smooth running of their business. Engr Pius Aminu, Chairman of FCT PAN, told newsmen in Abuja that the skyrocketing prices of maize and soyabeans […]
Poultry farms
The Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN), Federal Capital Territory (FCT) branch, has lamented the high cost of feeds and the prevailing insecurity in the country, saying they are hampering the smooth running of their business.
Engr Pius Aminu, Chairman of FCT PAN, told newsmen in Abuja that the skyrocketing prices of maize and soyabeans (major parts of the ingredients for poultry feeds) had hampered the smooth operations of poultry farming in the country.
Aminu said, “We are deeply concerned with the high prices of inputs like maize, soya, micro ingredients and others which have affected our beloved poultry farmers and have contributed to the closure of several farms within FCT. This is largely attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic. All stakeholders are being engaged to cushion the effects of this so we crave for understanding and patience from our esteemed poultry farmers as this will soon fizzle out.
“Maize in particular is a goldmine for hoarders which is impacting negatively on poultry farmers. We seek for more government interventions in the areas of monitoring, tracking and proper utilisation of funds released for cushioning programmes to avoid the collapse of the poultry business with its attendant negative impact on employment.”
He also bemoaned the prevailing insecurity and advised farmers to be more vigilant and security conscious around their farms to forestall untoward acts that would affect them.
He said, “As we are all aware of the security challenges facing our dear nation, we once again appeal to government to prioritise disbursement of credit facilities to the poultry sector because despite the daunting challenges the poultry farmers are still able to sustain their employment generation.”