The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) expressed distress over the closure of more than 50 per cent of its farms in 2023, attributing the shutdowns to sectoral challenges.
Mr. Mojeed Iyiola, Chairman of the PAN Lagos State chapter, revealed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday.
Iyiola highlighted that poultry farmers faced difficulties in meeting the increasing demand for poultry products due to the closure of a significant portion of their farms.
According to him, “Most poultry farms in the country closed down last year due to difficulties faced in the sector.”
“We are currently unable to meet the demand for eggs due to the shortage of poultry farms. Presently, we have a very low supply of eggs with growing demands.”
“This is because nothing less than 50 per cent of poultry farms around the country have shut down.”
He stated, “In fact, due to the shortage of supply, a crate of eggs sells for as much as N3,000 and above, even from the farm gate.” “We do not pray that the price keeps increasing because it is detrimental to the average consumer.”
Iyiola argued that sustained government interventions at all levels, particularly in subsidizing feed inputs, are essential for the prosperity of the sector.
