Poultry farmers call for immediate importation of soybeans, maize

…say the industry might shutdown by January 2021

Poultry farmers in Abuja on Thursday held an emergency meeting calling on the federal government to immediately allow for importation of soybeans and maize and partially reopen the nation’s borders.

The farmers under the aegis of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) also called on the federal government to halt “with immediate effect” the export of soybeans and soymeal as well as maize so as to protect the local food system and security.

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In a press conference, the president of PAN, Ezekiel Ibrahim said that the federal government should “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 food either formally or informally.”

He said: “If urgent actions are not taking immediately by the government, the industry might be forced to shutdown completely by January 2021.”

They also demanded that the government should declare a “State-of-Emergency” for the poultry industry and assist the association to organize a national conference on poultry production in Nigeria.”

The farmers worried that soybeans has become “scarce and near absence” of in the markets at this period of harvest” because some Nigerians were buying and hoarding grains (soybeans and maize) adding that intelligence report indicating export of soybeans in seeds and meals.

The farmers said the fallout of the current situation of grains (soybeans and maize) supply in the country, the poultry industry feed cost has gone up to 75 per cent with a bag of feed going up from N2 650 to N5,300 per 25 kg bag.