Feed Crisis Pushes Poultry Farmers Toward Local Alternatives

Poultry farmers across Nigeria are quietly changing how they feed their birds as rising costs continue to squeeze the industry, forcing many to turn to cheaper local substitutes just to stay in business. From small backyard operations to larger commercial farms, the pressure is mounting as feed prices, energy costs, and weak consumer spending collide in a way that is threatening one of the country’s most important sources of animal protein.

Source: agricjournalist

Industry leaders say the problem is no longer just about poultry farmers buying expensive feed. Arc. Kabir Ibrahim, president of the Nigeria Agribusiness Group and the All Farmers Association of Nigeria, explained that the entire value chain — from feed millers to marketers — is now under strain. Even though maize prices have dropped slightly, the cost of producing feed remains high because of electricity, processing, and transportation expenses that continue to climb.

According to him, Nigeria’s broader economic challenges mean that any small relief in raw material prices is quickly wiped out by other rising costs. Feed still takes the biggest share of poultry production expenses, leaving farmers with little room to breathe. Many have been forced to cut their flock sizes or blend cassava peels, rice bran, and other agricultural by-products into their feed as a survival strategy.

While farmers struggle with rising expenses, demand is also falling. Ibrahim noted that low purchasing power has made eggs and chicken increasingly difficult for many households to afford. “The problem is not production, it is sales,” he said, adding that even when prices ease slightly, consumers often cannot buy enough to keep farmers profitable.

At poultry farms around Abuja, the reality is already clear. Peter Mbah, a worker at Pedro Farm House along Zhidu Airport Road, said a bag of feed that sold for about ₦14,000 to ₦15,000 last year now costs roughly ₦16,500. With fuel and transportation costs still rising, farmers see little hope for immediate relief. Yet some costs, like vaccines, cannot be avoided if birds are to stay healthy.

For now, local feed alternatives are helping farmers keep their operations running, but they are only temporary solutions. Stakeholders say that unless production costs fall and Nigerians regain the ability to afford basic protein, the poultry sector will remain under serious threat — and the price of eggs and chicken will continue to stay out of reach for many families.