Poultry Farmers in Ogun State have lamented over shortage of maize and soya beans which is seriously affecting poultry and egg business in Nigeria.
The State Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN, ) Engr. Idowu Asonuga raised the concern, in Abeokuta when he led his newly elected state executive council of the association on a recent courtesy visit to the State Commissioner of Agriculture, Dr.Adeola Odedina.
Asonuga who blamed the shortage on the Coronavirus pandemic and ban on importation of maize into the country, .
sought the intervention of the State Government to assist farmers to go into massive production of the two products to make them available for Poultry Farmers in the state.
He also requested for adequate data of stakeholders in agric value-chain to enable the association to plan and expand its activities.
Responding, the State Agriculture Commissioner assured the Poultry Farmers of the government's readiness to provide more land and seedlings for interested farmers in a bid to provide maize and soya beans, which he noted were the major materials for poultry feeds.
According to Odedina, the Dapo Abiodun's administrationhas is reviving its moribund Poultry facilities in order to expand Poultry farming and further maintain the enviable position as the largest producer of eggs in Nigeria as well as the first in the Poultry Value chain industry.
Odedina said the move would assist in its food security as well as job creation drive.
He submitted that the move, together with the planned replication of its Broiler Project across the 20 Local Government Areas of the state has been applauded by stakeholders.
His words"We have been meeting with stakeholders in poultry value-chain activities and we will continue to do the needful to strengthen the industry."
The State Government is ready to revive all moribund poultry facilities across the state in order to replicate broiler projects in all the 20 Local Government Areas", he assured.
While assuring the Association of government support, Odedina charged them to continue to collaborate the Agriculture Ministry for meaningful engagement.
He appreciated the Association for contributing to palliative materials given to the vulnerable in the state during COVID-19 lockdown, describing them as the most well-organized stakeholders in poultry value-chain, just as he promised that Government would continue to strengthen the Industry.
The Commissioner also disclosed government's readiness to empower rural women with 50 broilers each as more opportunities would be opened to commercial poultry farmers, promising that Government would help the Association to procure landed property and other facilities that would house its Secretariat as well as sponsorship of their annual poultry show.
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