Mr. Mojeed Iyiola, the Chairman of the Lagos State Chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), has highlighted the positive impact of the state government’s maize palliative program on the industry, resulting in a decrease in maize prices.
Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos on Thursday, Iyiola noted the price reduction following the subsidy. He mentioned that the farm gate price for a crate of eggs dropped from N3,500-N3,700 to N3,200-N3,400 due to the government’s intervention. Additionally, he pointed out that retailers and middlemen sell eggs at higher prices, ranging from N3,800 to N4,200, mainly for their profit.
Iyiola emphasized, “We received about 150,000 tons of maize in February from the Lagos State government as palliative to cushion the effect of high feed prices.” He further stated, “The major benefit of the palliative is that it actually cushioned the cost of production for most poultry farmers in the state. The palliative was beneficial as it made the cost of some poultry produce, especially eggs, drop.”
He advocated for the federal government to follow Lagos State’s example by providing maize palliative to poultry farmers nationwide to mitigate the impact of high maize prices on the industry.
After the sharp surge in maize prices in 2023, the Lagos State chapter of the Poultry Association revealed that approximately 50% of poultry farmers have ceased operations.
The escalating costs of maize, an essential ingredient in poultry feed, have substantially inflated production expenses within the poultry sector. For example, maize prices surged by 79.23% in 2023. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) food price index for December 2023, there was also an 81.71% increase in the price of chicken feet throughout the year.
