The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has said that the current feed challenges facing the multi-billion-naira poultry industry may take almost 20 to 25 million Nigerians out of jobs, if immediate interventions were not provided.
PAN National President, Ezekiel Ibrahim, who stated this in Abuja yesterday during the World Egg Day celebration appealed to the federal government to come up with policies that would assist the farmers and save the industry from total collapse.
The association noted that the industry employs millions of Nigerians directly and indirectly, stressing that the entire value chain of poultry crop alone takes almost 4.5 metric tons of maize and 1.5 metric tons of soya beans annually.
Ibrahim, who was represented by the Director General of the Association, Onallo Akpa, said the collapse of Nigeria’s poultry industry would create a big market for other parts of the world who are into poultry production.
While appealing to the federal government to intensify the school feeding program where an egg a day per child can be meaningfully implemented in the country, he urged them to make eggs part of prisons feeding programme.
He further appealed to the federal government to consider eggs as a priority food product that could be supplied to displaced people at various locations throughout the country. (NAN)
