Poultry farmers in Kano State are lamenting over the hike in prices of chicks and poultry feeds, which is forcing many of them out of business because they cannot cope with the high cost of production and the competition between humans and birds in terms of food.
It was gathered that many poultry farmers in the state have shut down their farms and are now pursuing other business lines.
It was also learned that the prices of poultry products have also gone up, as a kilo is now sold at about N3,000 and a single raw egg is sold at N100.
Mr Kabiru Baba Dahiru, a poultry farmer, said he had since closed his farm because poultry farming had become too expensive.
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According to him, only those with huge capital can operate in the sector now because things have gotten out of hand. “Imagine a day-old chick is now selling for N850. How much do you think you will sell it after spending on feeds and other things.”
“To be honest, we have found out that it is no longer profitable, and many of us decided to close down and watch as things unfold,” he said.
Another farmer, Isa Dauda, said there is a need for something to be done immediately, or else poultry farming will be a thing of the past, adding that despite the push the sector had recorded, things have gone out of hand and poultry farmers are left to bear the problem alone.
According to the chairman, Kano chapter of the Poultry Farmers’ Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr Sulaiman Gwarzo, a chick that was sold at N120 is now sold at N850 and a 25kg of good feed that used to be sold at N6,500 is now N11,000.
He added that a “ton of maize, which was sold at N190,000 to N230,000, was what we bought in August this year at N480,000, though the price has dropped to N350,000 due to the harvesting period.
He said since the cashless problem experienced in February this year, many poultry farmers have suffered a lot of losses. “We lost N350 on each crate of eggs we take out of the farm, and as a result of that, coupled with the current hike in poultry input, many farmers have decided to quit the business.”
The state chairman added that to remedy the situation, the state association has engaged the state government, the national body of the association, as well as all relevant stakeholders on the way forward in addressing the current situation. “We have also established a cooperative structure as a first step in assisting members to remain in business.”
Poultry products are gradually becoming too expensive for households to purchase, and businesses associated with the products are closing down because patronage has gone down drastically.
However, it was also gathered that the hike in the price of chicks has been a perennial happening, as every year around October to December, such an increase in the price of poultry products usually occurs.
According to Abdullahi Umar, a chicken seller at Yankaba Market, whenever the ember period approaches, the price of chickens usually goes up.
“The hike in price is a perennial happening because of the ember period. We are certain that it will surely go down in January. Therefore, there is no point in panicking,” he said.
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