Key highlights:
- Due to the current egg glut, major poultry farms have now dropped their prices and are encountering total losses.
- PAN urges FG to o mop up the eggs across farms and distribute them to motherless babies’ homes, hospitals, or even prisons.
- Farmers are running at a loss because eggs are disposable perishable items.
Poultry farmers have called on the FG to intervene in the current egg glut in the poultry market, forcing farmers to reduce prices.
They warned they are running at a loss due to the current volume of eggs, as eggs are disposable perishable items.
This was disclosed by, Mr. Godwin Egbebe, National Publicity Secretary of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN).
Glut
Mr. Godwin Egbebe said farmers are running at a loss due to the glut and appealed for government intervention at all levels, He said:
- “Due to the current egg glut, major poultry farms have now dropped their prices and are encountering total loss.
- “At large farm gates, a crate of eggs now goes for as low as N1,700 and N1,800 as against N2,000 or N2,100 that was sold just weeks ago.
- “The egg glut is on the increase, the farmers are churning out eggs every day but there are low demands following the cash crunch in the country.
FG intervention
They added that FG should mop up the current supply across farms and donate as welfare to save the market from collapse:
- “With the current volume of eggs, farmers are running at a loss because eggs are disposable perishable items.
- “That is why we are calling on the government to mop up the eggs across our farms and distribute them to motherless babies’ homes, hospitals, or even the prisons.”
Naira scarcity and Price Drop
PAN also blamed the current egg glut situation on the limited cash in circulation, adding that market women are refusing transfers and “some of the mobile bank apps have disappointed time and time again.”
Mr. Mojeed Iyiola, the PAN Lagos state Chairman, said farmers have resorted to dropping prices to stay in the market, he said:
- “We have had to drop our prices due to the egg glut, still people do not come for them.
- “Poultry farmers have taken the eggs to the markets, yet demand is low and sales poor.
- “The marketers and middlemen have used this opportunity to collect eggs on credit and still refuse to pay.
- “We are appealing to the federal government on this issue, it is a serious case and trying times in the Poultry sector.
He warned if this situation persists, the poultry sector will gradually phase off in the nearest future. It is a terrible situation in the sector now.
- “A lot of poultry farmers are in dire straits presently, as they do not even have money to buy feed for their birds as the mortality rate increases daily.
- “Poultry farmers are currently facing colossal losses,” he said.
The staple food commodity is beyond the reach of common household to buy. It is too expensive and such many prefere to eat without meat or egg. There is no price reduction. I just bought an egg for 100 naira. The farmers should lower their prices so that it can become affordable. That will encourage the people to buy and mop it up
It is high the Nigerian government help the farmers put an end to this perennial problem of egg gluts that hundreds of farmers and farms, and jeopardize that aspect of the economy.
Our appeal to the Federal government is establish in every region one to three Egg Powder Processing Company depending on the egg production prevalence in that region. For instance, in South West here, almost all the states but one or two has the capacity to feed such processing company with enough raw materials depending on on its capacity.
I want to use this opportunity to appeal to our President-elect and his team to give establishment and investment in processing of our agricultural products a priority in their administration, this will help us to curb our annual wastes that runs into billions of naira, and automatically generate billions of dollars in return.
God bless and preserve our President-elect.