Negative Policies of Federal Government, Major Setback To Economic Growth – Poultry Farmers
Stakeholders in the poultry sector have identified some negative policies of the federal government in the past five years and worsened in the present administration as the major setback to growth of the Poultry industry.
They however believe in the resilient stance of the operators to strike an unprecedented breakthrough in the sector to become one of the major revenue generators of the economy.
The Vice- President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, PAN, South East, Sir Izuolisa Onu, in an address during the opening ceremony of the association’s 4th zonal summit in Enugu, observed that the twin hunger of the bird and humans in the country had complicated the situation such that Nigerians can no longer afford the cheapest source of protein found in the poultry.
“It is no longer news to all of us that the industry has not witnessed it so bad, like in the last five years: Covid 19 outbreak and the lockdown that followed, the Naira redesign policy of President Buhari and Emefiele, the removal of petroleum subsidy and the floatation of the Naira and the worst is the increase of electricity tariffs. All these have contributed to the negative growth and dwindling fortune of the poultry industry.
“As an association under my leadership, we have done much to see that the Government comes to our aid and support, but the twine hunger of the birds (chicken) with the hunger in men and women made our efforts seemed not to have yielded result by securing the allocation of Maize grain from the Federal Government to the poultry industry. But it is with pride that 1 inform you that the window of opportunity to import Maize into the country as a salvage measure for human and chicken hunger is largely because of our persistent presentations to the government. The window of the opportunity has made it possible for our maize into the country to cushion the devastating costs of production. It will interest you to understand that based on the mandate to my leadership to negotiate how the Association can import maize on behalf of its members using the current window granted by the Federal Government, the Association is discussing with some partners to ensure that it import some Maize for the benefit of its members. We are determined, and will succeed by the help of God on our sides”, Sir Onu observed.
The PAN zonal Vice- President further noted that the federal government had lost all interventionist capacity to salvage the waning opportunities in the sector such that the “the government’s capacity to pay compensation for any disease outbreak – especially the dreaded diseases of poultry like Avian Influenza is no longer feasible henceforth”.
Declaring the event open, the governor of Enugu State, Dr Peter Mbah, represented by the state commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru, commended the untiring efforts of the operators of the poultry sector in the face of the fact that the industry “faces many challenges that test our resolve-rising cost of feed, diseases, and market pressures. Yet, through your resilience and innovation, you have continued to thrive and support the economy of our states”.
He expressed the state government’s resolve to give poultry investors the needed support towards achieving the target high production of chicken and eggs.
“As part of our strategies to lower the high cost of feed, this administration is partnering with some private commercial farmers to cultivate maize, soybean, etc, to support feed production and ensure a sustainable supply of feed for our poultry
“We are equally, keen on working with associations such as PAN to promote training and capacity building initiatives that will introduce modern practices and technologies to further boost productivity and profitability. We can overcome the hurdles before us and set the poultry industry in Enugu State on a path of greater economic pedestal”, the governor assured.
The National President of PAN, Ichie Sunday Eze Obiora, represented by the Vice- President, South-South, Willie Edet, while acknowledging the giant strides by the stakeholders of the industry in Enugu state, called for the operators to take their destinies in their own hands considering the directions of the current economic policies of the government.
The two-day summit and expo with the theme: “Profitable Poultry and Livestock Business In a Challenging Economy”, had participants in various value chains of the Poultry industry from the five states in the South East in attendance with the exposition of their products inspected by the Enugu State commissioner for Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Mr Patrick Ubru.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Sam Udekwe is a journalist working in the News and Current Affairs department, Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. He is well trained in all genres of journalistic venture.
Mr Sam read Mass Communication, graduating all with Distinction in National Diploma, Higher National Diploma and Postgraduate Diploma at IMT, Enugu and Madonna University, Okija, Anambra state, while he is presently on his M.Sc programme also in Mass Communication, at National Open University of Nigeria.
He is currently the NUJ Chairman, Enugu state.
samowailo@gmail.com
