Eggs may hit N10,000 per crate, poultry farmers raise alarm

A crate of egg which currently sells between N5,500 and N6,000 may soon be sold at N10,000, according to Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN).

Nigeria is currently experiencing one of its worst inflation in decades as prices of many commodities have skyrocketed.

Factors responsible for this are the hike in fuel price and forex scarcity.

Speaking at a press conference to commemorate World Egg Day in Abuja, Secretary of PAN in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Musa Hakeem, called on the government to declare a state of emergency in the egg production sector.

He warned that without swift intervention, the price hike would be inevitable, further worsening the already declining protein consumption among Nigerians.

Hakeem attributed the looming increase to soaring transportation costs resulting from the removal of fuel subsidies, and escalating feed prices driven by feed millers.

The sharp rise in production costs could push the price of a crate to N10,000, but we have kept it at N5,500 out of consideration for consumers.”

He expressed disappointment over the lack of significant governmental support, noting that the last time poultry farmers received grain assistance was three years ago.

Hakeem urged for stronger cooperation between the government and Poultry farmers, emphasizing that the association possesses comprehensive data on poultry farmers that could be utilized for more targeted interventions.

On his part, an agro-dealer, Jude Arikogu, raised issues regarding the quality and weight of poultry feed, noting that some 25kg bags often weigh less than stated, further straining farmers already grappling with rising operational expenses.