By Juliana Agbo, Abuja

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) have said that if urgent actions are not taken immediately by government to reduce the high cost of grains and other challenges facing the poultry industry, by January 2021, the industry may shutdown completely.

Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, the National President of PAN, Ezekiel Ibrahim said the industry which is worth over N10 Trillion, engages over 20 million Nigerians directly and indirectly.

He explained that with the attendant fallouts and the grains supply situation in the country, the prices of Maize went up from N95,000 per ton to N165,000 per ton in June, 2020, while soybean is selling between N215, 000 to N250,000 per tons currently.

“The Government supported the industry with the release of 5,000mt of Maize at subsidised prices expecting that the price of Maize will fall or stabilize during the harvest season”.

He said billions of Naira were lost in sales of Eggs and chicken during the COVID-19 lockdown resulting in the closure of many small and medium size poultry farms.

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“The Government supported the industry with the release of 5,000mt of Maize at subsidized prices expecting that the price of Maize will fall or stabilize during the harvest season”, he said.

He said more worrisome at the moment is the Soybeans supply and demand situation in the country, which he said is scarce and near absence in the Nigerian markets.

Ibrahim further explained that the reasons being adduced as responsible for the scarcity and high cost is the insecurity in the country, climate change and activities of traders buying and hoarding the grains.

The PAN National President further noted that the poultry industry feed cost is about 75% of the cost of poultry production and this has risen by over 75% between March and November, 2020.

“In March the price of finished feed sold between N2,650 N3,000 is now selling between N4,600 – N5,300 per 25kg bag”, he said.

He said the resultant effects of the situation is “closure of small and medium sized poultry farms thereby threatening about 5 million to 10 million jobs especially at the peri urban and rural areas.

To salvage the situation, PAN has called for the immediate importation of maize and soybeans into the country as a stop gap measure to mitigate the impending doom in the poultry industry.

“Partially keep the borders open for markets in Agriculture and critical food products in transparent and predictable manner, but not the export of under produced foods either formally or informally

“Allow for the immediate importation of Soybeans and Maize the city as a stop gap measure to mitigate the impending doom in the world poultry industry.