Poultry farmers decry high cost of inputs in FCT


Scores of Poultry farmers in the FCT on Wednesday decried the increasing cost of inputs in the territory and called for government intervention to avert the likelihood of egg and poultry shortage.

Some of the farmers, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kuje and Gwagwalada, said except urgent steps were taken, most farmers would close their farms.

Dr Jeremiah Attama, a Veterinary Doctor and Farmer in Kuje , said young people were no longer attracted to poultry farming because of the increasing cost of production.

He said a bag of 25 kilogrammes of feeds sold for N3, 400 in December 2016, was currently being sold for N4, 500.

According to him, the increment margin is applicable to drugs and other inputs.

Attama said the increase in the cost of feeds was as a result of the increase in the prices of maize and other ingredients needed for its production.

“As a farmer, I am worried by the increasing cost of feeds because as at last year, we were able to use N2 million to produce feeds for 2,500 birds for a period of four months.
“With the recent increment, N3.4 million will not be enough to produce feeds for the same number of birds within the same period.

“Out of the 2,500 produced last year, we were able to sell only 2,000 with little profit while the remaining 500 were sold at giveaway prices since we could not continue with the feeding.

“And customers were not coming because people are do not have money to spend,” he said.

According to him, if this challenge persists with the recent increase in the cost of feeds, the country will soon run into egg and poultry meat shortage.

Mr Musa Kabir, a poultry farmer in Gwagwalada, called for government intervention to address the challenges of fake drugs in the poultry sector.

He advocated for a deliberate approach by the government to attract youths into crop farming, adding that whatever happens in the crop sector also affects poultry.

“Whatever happens to crops, particularly grains, affects poultry farming because the current increase in the cost of feeds is as a result of increase in the price of maize.

“So, government should work out strategies to encourage young Nigerians to farm,” he said.

Mr Simon Dikko , another poultry farmer in Kuje, said the current increase in the prices of poultry inputs was giving room for fake drugs and feeds in the market.

He called for active regulation of imported poultry raw materials in the country to put an end to the ugly trend.



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