Senator Abubakar Kyari, Minister of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS), has stated that his ministry is prepared to address the difficulties encountered by poultry producers in order to increase the nation’s food and nutrition security.
During the Poultry Association of Nigeria’s (PAN) leadership’s courtesy visit to his office in Abuja, Kyari disclosed this.
As he emphasized that malnutrition and rates of food inflation required that we work year-round to ensure increased food production while putting in place measures to make food available, accessible, and affordable for the populace, he pointed out that the current state of food security was threatened by issues of availability and affordability.
He stated that the shutdown of poultry enterprises was a major source of concern for the Ministry.
But he added that it was one of the factors behind President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, proclamating a food security emergency.
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Thus, he gave his word that the Association’s concerns would be investigated, noting that the Central Bank of Nigeria had already taken action to remove import restrictions among other things.
Prior to this, Chief Sunday Ezeobiora, National President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, said that there were increased tensions, worries, and fears regarding the nation’s poultry industry as a whole. He attributed this to the apparent defiance of the bans imposed on the importation of poultry and poultry products, such as eggs and dairy products.
He noted that the Association had called for greater political will on the part of the government to launch a sustainable poultry development policy with a well-defined Action Plan. He also pointed out that the recent development would return Nigeria to its pre-2000 state, when it was a complete dump for various imported poultry products, as per the Central Bank of Nigeria’s pronouncement.
Speaking further, the National President emphasized the consequences and asked for particular quick-win incentives to permit the importation of 500,000 tons of soybeans and 3 million metric tons of maize, among other things, to improve the supply and demand situation for the poultry farming seasons in 2023 and 2024.
During her speech, Mrs. Winnie Lai Solarin, the Director of Animal Husbandry Services, stated that the poultry industry is one of the most commercialized in the livestock sector and has a 95% chance of reducing poverty. It has also increased the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.
The Director clarified, however, that the poultry industry was currently under threat, just like any other, citing the nation’s growing feed prices and instability as major factors. Feed accounts for over 70% of production costs and has forced some enterprises to close.
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