5000 Metric Tons Of Maize Is Not Enough For Farmers But We Are Grateful - PAN DG, Oyo PAN - LivestockTrend

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Tuesday 8 September 2020

5000 Metric Tons Of Maize Is Not Enough For Farmers But We Are Grateful - PAN DG, Oyo PAN

 

As President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the release of 5000 Metric Tons of maize to poultry farmers as Oyo PAN has expressed their gratitude that the Federal government listened to their cry but as well as slating that the tons of maize is not enough for farmers. 

 

The Public Relation Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Bamigboye made this known in an interview with our correspondent during a telephone conversation.


He appreciated the fact that the Federal government of Nigeria heard their cries and made provision for the farmers in the country as the act showed that the government really care about the farmers and have a sense of responsibility.


"First of all, we must appreciate the Federal government for having a sense of responsibility which shows they heard our cries, made provision and save farmers from debt but we must say this is not enough to go around all farmers." Bamigboye said.


He added that the government has also granted the big guns in the industry the permission to import maize into the country which will also help to boast the scarcity of maize in the country.


"Big guns in the industry have been given the opportunity to import maize which will help farmers as well as the 5000 tons of maize." He said.


Also, The Director-General of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Dr Onallo Ankpa, said the Ministry of Agriculture had already written them in that regard.


While commending the President for the gesture, he said the 5,000MT of maize might just serve the farmers for about two weeks while they subsequently source maize from the market at high price.


“The President approved 5,000 Metric Tonnes of maize for us, I have gotten the paper from the Minister of Agriculture, very soon, we will work out the logistics for our people to access it."


“5,000 Metric Tonnes is nothing, if I want to give it to the states, if I give them three trucks and this can only last for three weeks for the whole nation, so it is nothing, but half bread is better than none. We will source the deficit from whatever price people are buying,” he noted.


The National Chairman of the National Association of Grain Storage Practitioners of Nigeria, Chief Eric Ozongwu, said about 50 per cent of silos across the country is empty.


Ozongwu said only about two of those who won the bid during the silos concessionaire have actually taken over the silo complexes.


While recounting the dangers of importation and the current maize scarcity, Ozongwu said food crisis is imminent if steps were not taken immediately to address it.


“About 50 per cent of the silos that we have are all empty from the look of things, even the ones that we were told that were concessioned, the people that won the bid have not taken possession of the silo complexes, although about two silos have been taken over, despite the fact that they have paid for a very long time, they have not had access, their money had been tied down, the ones that had access to the silos are just doing routine maintenance because those silos have been moribund for a very long time.


“It is a very serious situation, you can not bring in maize, the ones we have are not enough, poultry farmers need the maize, there is food crisis and the prices of maize have gone haywire, and when the price of maize goes up, automatically it affects the price of sorghum, and with this Coronavirus and the crisis in the North, there could be impending food crisis if care is not taken,” Ozongwu added.

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