Feed millers and poultry farmers have expressed concerns over the sudden increase in the price of poultry feeds in some parts of South West, Nigeria.
This hike has been
attributed to sudden increase in the cost of maize; a major raw material for
poultry feeds. Reports have it that the price of maize which was NGN
90 per kg prior to the Corona virus
pandemic in Nigeria, has moved to NGN 100 per kg in places like Fashola,
Ibadan, Oyo township and Iseyin in Oyo state. This 10% increase portends a
steady rise in the production cost for poultry farmers whose market is not
expanding at the moment.
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| Photo: Arisa Chatasa on Unsplash |
Largely, restriction
of movement in some states, following the outbreak of COVID-19 has been the
main reason for the hike in price, said some local feed millers.
Mr. Amune Jeremiah, a
renowned egg producer based in Oyo, confirmed the hike in maize price. He
stated that “though millers claimed that movement is restricted hence trucks
and vehicles that bring maize to Oyo town are no longer coming [...] well,
I don’t think that is true. Business is business; these feed mills have maize
in stock, sufficient for even up to four months production. But since other
sellers are hiking their price, they just follow suit.”
It is instructive to
note that, following the confirmation of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria, the Oyo
State Government placed a curfew on movement within the State between
the hours of 7pm – 6am daily which commenced on March 29, 2020.
Poultry farmers in the
region continue to anticipate a reduction in the price of feeds as soon as this
partial lock down is over to enable them achieve maximum profit.
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