In Niger State, a large number of poultry breeders are closing their doors due to insufficient customer support and growing feed costs. An investigation by the local news brand reveals that feed retailers have also been impacted by farm closures, with several expressing concern about their companies being threatened by low patronage.
Further conversations with families showed that a decrease in the amount of eggs consumed in many households has been brought on by the increase in commodity prices, particularly those of eggs produced by the few remaining farmers. To ensure that their children get enough protein, many families are looking for other foods.
BrandSpur’s national news desk also learned that many farmers are being forced out of business due to the skyrocketing pricing of layers.
According to Mohammed Audi Adamu, a former secretary of the Poultry Farmers Association in Niger State, the high cost of inputs and a sharp decline in customer demand for poultry products have forced roughly 65% of the state’s poultry farmers to close their doors.
Female poultry farmer Khadijah Ndanusa of Minna revealed that her in-law, who formerly had over 100 birds on her farm, now had none since it was impossible to purchase feed due to rising costs and low patronage.
Suleiman Isah Ubandoma, a farmer and manager of Sikat Farms Minna who also deals in feeds, informed our correspondent that he had to close his farm on Saturday after selling all of his broilers because of the rising cost of feeds and a drop in customers.
Continuing, he added that he seldom ever opens his store these days because the feed market has significantly decreased as a result of growing feed prices, which have forced many chicken producers to close their operations.
BrandSpur’s news desk learned that the high cost of the main ingredients—corn, soybeans, concentrates, and wheat—has made it extremely difficult for poultry producers in the area to produce feed.
Even though some poultry farmers, like Khadijah Ndanusa, are using the rainy season to grow their own maize and soybeans, from which they produce feeds locally to reduce costs, other farmers claimed the approach was unsustainable, particularly once the rainy season ended, and they urged government intervention to save the nation’s livestock industry.
Checks conducted in the state’s markets revealed that the price of a 100 kg bag of fresh corn was N70,000, and that of aged maize was N90,000. Furthermore, the price of a 100 kg bag of soybeans is currently N100,000, while concentrates are now N20,000 instead of N20,000, and Wheat-Offer, which was previously offered for N19,000, is now N26,000. Household checks also revealed a decrease in egg consumption as a result of price increases.
Residents of Minna’s Barikin-Sale neighborhood, Mallama Aisha Mohammed, told the local news brand that they no longer eat eggs as frequently as they formerly did when the cost was low.
A breastfeeding mother named Mallama Fatima also informed our correspondent that they had reduced their egg consumption because of the high cost.
