Egg glut: Farmers demand Gov mops up

eggs

There has been an indication of increased market glut of poultry products in the recent times which may have been as a result of falling prices of crate of eggs occasioned by influx of imported ones that could not allow farmers to sell at a competitive price. Food Farm News gathered.

  

Poultry eggs are in high demand for bakeries and daily consumption being a source of protein for both the children and adult as World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that every healthy individual should eat one daily being a major source of protein to everyone in Nigeria.  

Food Farm News finding revealed that poultry farmers presently are compelled to be selling below profit margin due to high cost of feeds coupled with influx of illegal eggs importation that are forcing the price of eggs to become noncompetitive in the market thereby making many to have glut .We are told that the price at which the products are sold currently were far lower than the production cost.  

  

A poultry farmer, Mrs. Abidemi Olukayode of Forlan Egg, Ibadan  told us that government should immediate proffer solution as the glut in market has contributed to the daily falling in the prices of products which may negatively impacted in the productivity  saying “ the price of eggs have fallen drastically, while the chicken feeds have sky rocked on daily basis”   

She alleged the existence of a cabal who always mopping up eggs directly from farmers at giveaway prices for sale to consumers at exorbitant prices and that the outbreak of bird flu had done enough damage to the poultry industry in the state, adding that the current situation would do more harm to the industry if nothing was done to contain it urgently. 

She further pleaded with government to give a listening ear to the cry of the poultry farmers, stressed that “We have serious egg glut presently in the state, and if nothing is urgently done, a lot of things will go wrong because some farms are at the verge of collapsing. Everybody knows the importance and critical contributions of the poultry industry towards the economic growth of this state and the entire nation.

She noted that a crate of egg goes for N650, while a bag of chicken feeds as at today goes for N2,700, making the poultry business largely unprofitable. So, we have come to plead with you as government to help mop these eggs so as to help our farmers bounce back to business.

An Abuja based poultry farmer, Mr. Gaga Johnson told our correspondent that members of the association are presently facing challenges of market gluts due to higher cost of production cum illegal importation of eggs into the country saying government should wage into matter before things get out of hands.     .     

Mr. Johnson urged the Federal Government to look into the issue critically so as to assist and prevent future major gluts, stressed that the issue must be properly looked into order to rescue many farmers from going out of business thereby compounding challenges of unemployment adding that “if the farmers and relevant associations kept mute over the precarious situation, it will not be doing the government any good because the economy of the country will be greatly affected”