A poultry farmer, Mr Shittu Asimi has lamented the low production of eggs, saying they are not sufficient to meet demands of the populace.
Asimi, a member of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
He said that recently, the production of eggs in the country was on the decline, which had adversely affected export of the product.
“From my experience in the poultry industry, we are not producing enough to feed our own population.
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“The egg glut witnessed during the rainy season may sometimes justify the fact that we produce enough eggs in the country but the reality is that we are not.
“In the recent past before insecurity situation in the North East region of the country, local farmers used to export trailers of eggs to Niger and Chad republic.
“However, presently we do not produce enough eggs to cater for the growing demand for eggs by Nigerians.
“The same thing goes for broiler production; we cannot cater for the needs of Nigerians in this aspect, the smuggling of frozen broilers may continue because local farmers are not producing enough,” he told NAN.
Speaking on the egg glut occasionally witnessed in the poultry business, Asimi called for government’s support in the procurement of Egg Powder Machines for preservation purposes.
“If the government can assist local farmers to purchase these egg powder machines with the arrangement of a borrowers’ scheme, it will help to cut their losses in cases of egg glut.
“This is necessary because during the rainy seasons, between May and July, every year, we usually encounter egg glut (excess production of eggs and less demand) which result in losses for the farmers.
“Before the rainy season, the farmers’ sells off all layers and procure new ones which begins laying by May to July, hence the glut in the market.
“If poultry farmers can acquire Egg Powder machines, they will be able to cut down on their losses during the upcoming rainy season.
“These machines can also make their businesses more lucrative for example, most baby formula in the market contain powdered eggs. This can create extra income for the egg farmers,” he said.
He however described the egg production business as lucrative, saiying it would be more beneficial to the farmers who invest more into it.
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“The production of egg in the country is improving, there is no doubt about that but we are still not yet able to cater for the demands of the citizens.
“The egg production business is a highly lucrative business in the country, and will continue to be beneficial to as many that want to delve into it.
“Poultry business is a game of number, if you can invest more in the number of layer birds, you will definitely benefit more from the business.
“A farmer that has up to 5,000 layer birds can be sure of a great return on his investment.
“After expenses on feed and medication on the birds, the rest 50 per cent can be the farmer’s profit,” he said. (NAN)