Egg glut: Plateau State becomes the first state in Nigeria to mop up supply through large purchases

Key highlights:

• Major poultry farms are dropping their prices and are encountering total losses.
• The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) said farmers are running at a loss due to the glut and appealed for government intervention at all levels.
• The Plateau Governor said that the measure was designed to alleviate the plight of farmers caused by the recent egg glut in the state, adding it is the state’s first intervention in addressing the challenges facing poultry farmers in the state.

Plateau State became the first state in Nigeria to purchase eggs in large quantities in a bid to mop up supply which Poultry farmers warn would lead to perished foods without Government intervention.

This was disclosed by the state chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) and  Gov. Simon Lalong on Monday in Jos during the distribution of the mopped-up eggs.

Poultry farmers earlier urged the FG to intervene in the current egg glut in the poultry market which they say is forcing farmers to reduce prices.

Mop-up

The Plateau Governor, said that the measure was designed to alleviate the plight of farmers caused by the recent egg glut in the state according to NAN, the statement added:

• “He said that the mop-up was the state’s first intervention in addressing the challenges facing poultry farmers in the state.
• “The governor, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Danladi Autu, said that the state government would sustain the intervention by making them suppliers of eggs for the school feeding programme.

Reasons

The Governor added that poultry farmers had contributed to the internally generated revenue of the state, in addition to creating employment for the youths, adding the state government will do anything possible to secure poultry business in the state.

Major beneficiaries of the mop-up were charities, and the Chairperson, of the Association of Orphanages and Home Operators in Nigeria in Plateau, Mrs Kyenpiya Nyabam said “2,000 orphans in the state would benefit from the eggs.”

The Commissioner for Agriculture, Dr Hosea Finangwai, said that schools, hospitals, correctional centres and orphanages in the state would be the first beneficiaries of the mop-up.

PAN Chairman in the state, Johnson Bagudu, added that the mop-up would also help to bring back many farmers who had left the business urging the incoming government to sustain the gesture.

Backstory

Recall Nairametrics reported that due to the current egg glut, major poultry farms have now dropped their prices and are encountering total losses.

The Poultry Association of Nigeria urged FG to mop up the eggs across farms and distribute them to motherless babies’ homes, hospitals, or even prisons as Farmers are running at a loss because eggs are disposable perishable items.

Mr Godwin Egbebe, National Publicity Secretary of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) 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.