By ODEYA OGBETUO
The National President of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Ichie Sunday Ezeobiora has appealed to Government at all levels to give more assistance to poultry farmers to improve on their production to sustain the nation’s economy.
Chief Ezeobiora who made this appeal at the PTI Conference Centre, Effurun during the first Delta State Poultry Summit 2024 and Annual General Meeting (AGM) with the theme: “The Role of Government, NGO’s, Private Organization and Research Institutions for the sustainability for small and medium scale Poultry Industry for Food Security, Employment and Self-reliance in Delta State, said that the Poultry industry has suffered devastating loses occasioned by many macroeconomic and security reason, adding that this has been responsible for the astronomic rises in the cost of poultry production, resulting in the closure of many small and medium size poultry farms in the past 6 years.
He listed some of the problems militating against poultry farmers to include scarcity of maize and soyabeans, insecurity, Emefiele currency redesign policy that triggered Naira scarcity, floating of the Naira, rising interest rate and removal of subsidy from petroleum products have greatly affected the poultry industry in Nigeria.
In his appeal “I am using the opportunity of this summit to appeal to the Delta State Government to use their resources to support poultry farmers in the State and the Federal government to design a viable poultry development agenda for the country”.
Chief Ezeobiora also appealed to Government and its relevant agencies to engage the PAN on constant basis on issues that affects the industry before critical policy decision are taken and further appealed to government to try its best to secure the country from all sorts criminals so as to enable serious farming and encourage commercial production of relevant crops with proven technology.
He canvassed for direct support to poultry farmers through the Association (PAN) in order to ensure genuine and equitable supporting framework rather than political patronage.
The chairman of the Delta State chapter of PAN, Chief Eric Tomfawei said that the main objective of the summit remains basically to evaluate the current state of the industry in Delta State and to seek urgent support from various levels of government, NGOs, Research Institutions and private organizations which expectedly will translate to economic stability, job and wealth creation and self-sustainability in Delta State.
According to him “This maiden edition of the Delta Poultry summit is an advocacy to galvanize support for small and medium scale poultry and inputs entrepreneurs for the common good of Deltans not only in the area of food security and sustainability but in the area of employment and security assurance in the State. The summit is also organized to call for urgent support in order to salvage the industry from imminent collapse in Delta State.”
He disclosed that in June, 2021 and August 2022 Delta State poultry farmers experienced huge financial losses to the deadly Avian influenza virus, adding that there was a flood crisis during the same 2022 which displaced several poultry farms in some parts of the State.
“Between June,2023 to date over six hundred small and medium scale poultry farms across Delta State have shutdown operation as a result of frequent and incessant price increase of finished feeds and input products. About two hundred feed millers in the State have equally shut down production due to the extremely high cost of maize which makes up about 45% of poultry feeds.”
Chief Tomfawei affirmed that the majority of poultry farms and feed millers across the State have completely shut down operation due to the rising cost of electricity tariff, PMS and AGO.
He pointed out that finance remains one of most critical elements in poultry, adding that assistance to poultry farmers became very important.
He suggested that the State government should help in building Silos (storage facility) across the three senatorial districts in Delta State and fund the cultivation of maize in commercial quantities as well as procure and store maize during low price regime and sell to farmers at subsidized rates.
“One of the biggest challenges with government interventions in the poultry industry is poor disbursement of intervention materials. When interventions to farmers are properly managed and channeled to true farmers, the results are usually visible” he added.
In his goodwill message, the Delta State Governor, His Excellency, Rt. Hon. Sheriff Oborevwori represented by the Commissioner for Trade and Investment and Agriculture, Hon. Samuel Oligida commended the efforts of the poultry farmers. He also commended them for organizing the summit to look into the problems and prospects of PAN in Delta State and promised that the State government will give the necessary support to continue to provide for our people.
In attendance were poultry farmers from all the local government areas of the State, feed millers, veterinary practitioners, several agro entrepreneurs, research institute
