The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, has praised the Lagos State Government’s effort to subsidize chicken feed expenses. Mojeed Iyiola, the association’s chairman, made this statement during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, emphasizing the importance of this action for chicken producers throughout the state. According to Iyiola, increased feed costs have hampered poultry productivity and growth, prompting many farmers to close their operations.
Iyiola expressed gratitude to the Lagos State Government for its proactive approach in addressing this pressing issue, particularly through planned interventions targeting poultry and fish farmers. He emphasized that reducing production costs is critical to ensuring that poultry products remain affordable for the general public. “As an association in 2025, all we are trying to do is to find a way of reducing the cost of production so that the end-product from the poultry industry will be within the reach of the masses,” he said. The chairman also mentioned that PAN has been in constant dialogue with the state government and the commissioner for agriculture to push for solutions that will ease the burden on farmers.
The planned subsidy program, according to Iyiola, focuses on reducing the cost of feed materials, which accounts for the largest share of production expenses in the poultry industry. He noted that this intervention could significantly ease the financial strain on farmers and enable them to operate more efficiently. However, he pointed out that the subsidy is currently intended to benefit only a limited number of financial members of the association. “The state government wants to help farmers in the sector subsidise the cost of production, which is the most cost-intensive aspect of the poultry production subsector. However, the feed materials subsidisation is only going to cater to a few financial members of the association. We hope the intervention will cover more farmers,” he stated.
Iyiola went on to describe how high feed costs have had a terrible impact on the sector, pointing out that the subsector has been decimated by expensive input prices. Many farmers, he continued, have been forced to close their enterprises due to the excessive costs of production. “For example, a bag of 25kg tartare costs approximately N20,000. Maybe when the government subsidises, it can go as low as N15,000 or N10,000, which will help to reduce prices,” he said. This reduction would not only help farmers stay in business, but it would also make poultry products more available and affordable for consumers.
The chairman underlined that more farmers in the state must be included in the government’s subsidies program. He voiced hope that a more comprehensive intervention will affect the industry more profoundly and help stabilize the sector. Additionally, he urged the association’s non-financial members to sign up so they might take advantage of future initiatives of this like.
The planned feed subsidy program by the Lagos State Government comes at a crucial time for poultry farmers, many of whom are grappling with significant economic challenges. If implemented effectively, this initiative could serve as a model for other states to follow, ultimately revitalizing the poultry industry across the country.
