PAN Urges FG To Direct Urgent Release Of 60,000 Metric Tons Of Maize To Members

The leadership of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on the federal government to direct both Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which manages the Strategic Maize Reserve Programme (SMRP) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to release 60,000metric tons of maize to it members.

The Association in a statement signed by its National President, Chief Sunday Ezeobiora, recently in Abuja, said the poultry industry in Nigeria is on the verge of total collapse if there is no quick intervention.

Ezeobiora said the state of the poultry industry calls for an urgent intervention to save the industry from total collapse.

According to Ezeobiora, in order to salvage the Poultry industry from the imminent collapse the government should direct both the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) which manages the Strategic Maize Reserve Programme (SMRP) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to free the allocations of 40,000 metric tons to the industry through the Association.

PAN also urged the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural to release 20,000 metric Tons of Maize from the Strategic Food Reserves of the Ministry to the Poultry industry through the Association at discounted prices so as to mitigate the current challenges faced by the industry.

“The high surges of prices of Maize and the near absence or scarcity of the product is causing farmers to close down their poultry farms at the moment because it is no longer sustainable to feed the birds and be in business thereby threatening the further development of the Nigerian poultry industry.

“In the current dispensation and scheme of things, the Poultry industry is being frustrated by the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) whence it was allocated 40,000 Metric tons of Maize to assist poultry production in the country and in two weeks, they cancelled the allocation and stopped poultry farmers from lifting the Maize on the conditions best known to them and thereby majorly contributing to the high prices of Maize in the markets because of holding down their stocks of Maize,” he said

He however requested that the allocations by both organizations should be at the rate (price) per metric ton that the allocations were made understanding that these organizations are to intervene in critical sectors of the economy for developmental purposes and not merchandise.

“Since the poultry industry is the most capitalised subsector of the Nigerian Agriculture, every effort and support should be given to the subsector so that the industry do not collapse and the country once more becoming dumping grounds for all sorts of poultry and poultry products from abroad.

“Poultry farmers in the country are very committed to working closely with the government for the realization of the HOPE mandate of the present Government as we pledge our loyalty in all ramifications,” he assured.