Tinubu Asked To Probe Alleged Hoarding Of Maize By NCX, CBN’s SMR As Poultry Farmers Raise Alarm In Delta

Members of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Delta Chapter, have called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to probe activities of officials of the Nigeria Commodity Exchange and the Strategic Food Reserve of the Federal Government as well as the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR) Programme of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over scarcity and high cost of maize in the country.

The farmers urged President Bola Tinubu to set up an investigative panel to get to the root of the problem which is threatening poultry farms in the country.

Addressing newsmen in Asaba on Thursday, Chairman, Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Delta Chapter, Chief Eric Tomfawei, said that no fewer than 600 poultry farms in Delta state will shut down due to high cost of maize: a major component in the formulation of poultry ration.

According to him, the prohibitive cost of maize has rose by over 75% from N225,000 to N405,000 per tonne over the development, stressing that despite the recent increase in maize, farmers in Delta State are unable to increase prices because many farmers are already experiencing gluts in egg and broiler production.

Tomfawei appealed to relevant government agency to release adequate quantities of maize from the Strategic Food Reserve to the poultry industry at discounted rate to address the spiralling cost of maize.

He alleged that poultry farmers are being frustrated by the Nigeria Commodity Exchange (NCX) and the Strategic Maize Reserve (SMR) of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) by its cancellation of allocations of 40,000 metric tonnes of maize meant to assist poultry farmers

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He said, “There’s also the need for the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural to release enough quantity of maize from the Strategic Food Reserves of the Ministry to the Poultry Industry through the Poultry Association of Nigeria at discounted prices to address this situation.”

He warned of youth restiveness in the Niger-Delta due to the hanging spectre of farm closures and the inevitability of youths in the sector being laid off, stressing that “apart from the direct impact on hunger crisis, more youths, who are engaged by the poultry industry, will be thrown back into the labour market with attendant security implication”.

He urged support for the poultry industry to prevent its imminent collapse, and warned of the country becoming a dumping ground for imported poultry products, if the right steps are not taken.

Tomfawei, also urged Gov Sheriff Oborevwori to address the issue of egg and broiler glut crisis affecting poultry farmers in the State.