ibironkeeniola 
The Federal Government has approved the release of 5,000 metric tonnes of maize from the national strategic grains reserve to support the Poultry Association of Nigeria.
The government said farmers would get the grains at a subsidized rate of N90,000 per metric tonne against the current market price of N170,000.
Director of Information at the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Theodore Ogaziechi, made the announcement in a press statement.
Ogaziechi said the step was conveyed to the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono, in a letter from the State House and signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
The poultry industry accounts for about 27% of the total production in the agricultural sector and provides about 20 million direct and indirect employments.
In his reaction, Nanono assured poultry farmers of the ministry’s readiness to immediately comply with the presidential directive in order to salvage the huge investment of about N10 trillion Naira in the industry.