Poultry farmers in the country are beginning to count huge losses owing to the interstate lockdown and increase in the prices of poultry feeds. The situation has driven many of them into more debts and losses as the interstate lockdown limits access to the market, resulting in egg glut for farmers.

“Currently, so many poultry farms are experiencing egg gluts. There is no doubt that the farmers are running heavy losses,” said Samuel Okwudiri, MD, Squids Farm in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. According to Okwudiri, the glut and increase in feed prices are having an adverse effect and untold hardship on the farmers. “As a result, many farmers are counting heavy losses on livestock and produce,” he stated.

The agricultural sector is one of the critical sectors in the Nigerian economy, with massive potential. Hence, the government issued a directive to security agencies to allow food/agricultural produce access, as essential service providers, while the lockdown lasted. However, many farmers, especially poultry farmers continue to suffer some losses as some security agencies still made it difficult for players in the sector to have easy access to supply products across the states where they are needed, owing to the inter-state lockdown. Business Day