The Poultry and Fishery sectors have lost over N60b to the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown. According to the Voices of Food Security (VFS), a coalition of farmers associations, over five million crates of eggs estimated at N40b have perished; N20b was lost by fish farmers, due to closure of hotels, eateries and restaurants; N20m lost at the Oke-Aro Piggery Farm, with the death of 450 pigs to the African Swine Disease, among others.

Briefing journalists in Ikeja, Lagos, on “COVID-19 and Threat to Food Security in Nigeria,” Sulaimon Arigbabu, who spoke on behalf of the body, raised concerns that there is still silence from the Federal Government, on how smallholder farmers who have already suffered losses can be compensated.

He said: “We observe that these palliative and recovery windows may well work for the manufacturing and other sectors, but we are concerned that they do not adequately cover the needs of agricultural sector stakeholders, let alone those of smallholder farmers who currently face the challenge of feeding the country during the lockdown and immediately afterwards.” Guardian