LAGOS  – The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has revealed that more than 30% of poultry farms across the country closed in the past six months, citing sector challenges. 

Speaking recently PAN’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Godwin Egbebe, attributed the shutdowns to the exorbitant operational costs, which have also driven up egg prices nationwide. 

According to him, “About 30% of local poultry farmers nationwide have shut down their farms due to the hardship faced in the sector in the first half of the year. 

“The government needs to know the severity of the situation poultry farmers are facing in the sector. 

“The disbursement of palliatives is not alleviating the ills in the sector, we seek sustainable solutions to the problems on the ground. 

“The palliatives most times even end in wrong coffers and not legitimate farmers. 

“Most farmers are leaving the sector because they cannot sustain the cost of operating their farms. 

“Some have sold their cages and some have sold their farms,” he said. 

In addition, Egbebe identified the rising cost of feed as a significant challenge facing the sector. 

He said that the increasing cost of feed has put immense pressure on poultry farms, making it difficult for many to sustain operations. 

“The price of poultry produce keeps increasing because the price of feed increases every other week. 

“As of two weeks ago, we bought 25kg of feed at N14,300, just this past weekend, it is now N14,800. 

“Early this year, we bought a bag for N12,000 and it sold for N9,000 last year. The increment is affecting the sector. 

“Transportation is also another major bane in the sector, transportation of poultry produce increases the cost,” he said.