SEYI TAIWO-OGUNTUASE
Poultry farmers in the country have urged the Federal Government to intervene immediately and to stop the export of Soyabeans – both Seeds and Soybean Meals (SBM) and Maize to any part of the world in order to save the poultry industry from total collapse.
The farmers under the aegis of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) while speaking through its National President, Sunday Ezeobiora during a visit of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the Association to the Minister Federal Ministry of Livestock Development also implored the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to discontinue with immediate effect any form of incentives to exporters of critical commodities that are in short supply in the country considering first the national food security of the people and the country.
He said that maize, also being the most critical ingredient in the production of poultry which about 4.5 million tons needed by the poultry industry alone is at the moment at the highest prices thereby making the business of poultry production very difficult since maize and soya constitute about 80 percent of the cost of poultry production.
He noted that the soyabean; both seeds and meals situation of the country is not encouraging, that while the local production is very low as compared to national demand and utilisation, the prices of the seeds and meals continue to be on the rise simply because of some sharp practices orchestrated by uncoordinated policy of government.
“In contrast with national food security, the Nigerian non-GMO soyabeans are being massively exported out of the country, thereby creating local scarcity and high prices of seeds and meals.
In view of this, the government will have to intervene immediately to strengthen the poultry industry for more productivity to boost the national economy.
Ezeobiora, who is also the Chairman of Sunchi Integrated Farms in Emene, Enugu, advised that the government should be buyers of last resort at Minimum Guaranteed Prices (MGP) for maize rather than the government competing for commodities at contract prices with consumers and farmers at the period of harvest of the critical commodities, especially maize, soyabeans, sorghum and other cereals.
He also called on the CBN to immediately halt the release of funds to grain aggregators who are responsible for the current woes of the poultry industry, stressing that maize and soyabeans, along with other commodities, are being warehoused and hoarded to create scarcity that triggers abnormal high prices.
“These have become the practice in the last few years of this obnoxious trade by speculators.”
However, in order to assist and ameliorate the current challenges facing the poultry industry in the country according to him, tariffs on all imported micro inputs for poultry production as well as equipment be made zero duties and other taxes exempted as this will greatly reduce the high cost of production exacerbated by the devaluation of the Naira.
He said that this will help to further create wealth and employment for Nigerians and that based on statistics and data of poultry production and needs of the country with the Association; the government should with the industry leaders’ work together to come up with sustainable policies that will support the industry on a long term basis of between 10 to 20 years considering our population growth and shift in consumer preferences and others.
Speaking further he implored the government to continue the implementation of the restriction on the importation of frozen poultry products into the country as any country wishing and willing to do poultry business with Nigeria should form partnership to invest and produce in the country and exporting such poultry products to the other countries in West Africa since the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCTA) commencement.
He pointed out that the government should invest heavily on Active Surveillance to be able to track various diseases that have tended to ravage the poultry industry, such as the Avian Influenza (AI), which ravages the poultry industry at all times.
He also called for the urgent need to keep the virus of Avian Influenza in check constantly.
“Investments in both passive and active surveillance as well as holistic measure adoption is the only sure method to keep animal and health diseases at far arm’s length.”
On the issue of taxation, the PAN president pointed out that the multiple taxation on agricultural commodities and products of the poultry industry by the various States’ Internal Revenue Boards or Agencies be critically looked into by the Joint Tax Board with the possibility of abolishing all illegal revenue collection Agencies or task forces, stressing that the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have great roles to play in this matter.
He pointed out that the alarming and negative narration of the situation of the poultry industry today is that the fortune of the industry is nose-diving leading to the closure of some poultry farms for the obvious reasons known to all.
He said that while the government has come up with various agricultural programs and policies to boost poultry production in the past, it appears that the tempo and zeal are not being sustained.
Ezeobiora, stressed that more devastating to the poultry industry is the way the outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and the various policies like the currency denomination and others have affected the industry negatively with the devastating effects being magnified by the various reforms being witnessed at the moment.
“It is in the face of the above that Poultry Association of Nigeria sought for this courtesy call to abreast you with the latest situation of the Nigerian poultry industry with a view to initiate specific quick win incentives and other urgent interventions as well as strategic issue of reform options that will accelerate the further development of the Nigerian poultry industry.
“The poultry industry is at the moment facing some challenges that need urgent government interventions and urgent actions,” he said.
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