Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State chapter, Mr Godwin Egbebe, has suggested ways the state government can be of help to poultry farmers in order to cushion the effect of maize shortage which has continue to ravage their businesses.

Egbebe, while speaking with the Nigerian Tribune recently, noted that majority of poultry farms are closing, noting that those that are still surviving are struggling to do so.

He further stated that:”It is something that one does not have words to explain. It is tough, as we speak, the maize that we were buying for N105,000 early last year before the lockdown occasioned by COVID-19 pandemic is now sold between N220,000 and N225,000 per ton. You can see that the increase is close to 100 per cent.”

Speaking on how the Lagos State government can be of immense help to poultry farmers in order to cushion the effect of the shortage in maize supply, Egbebe, suggested that:”Since the maize association said it has maize and the majority of the maize is coming from the north, if the Lagos State governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu can talk to some of his colleagues in the north just like they did for lake rice, to give us maize at a reasonable price.

“But if there are no maize locally, the governor can equally talk to the Federal Government to open that window as a stop gap for us to import maize for a short period before local production is increased. If either of the two options is considered, poultry farmers in Lagos would be relieved and their businesses would flourish again.”

SOURCE: TRIBUNE