Nigerians to pay more for egg – PAN

The Poultry Association of Nigeria has said there would be continuous increase in the prices of eggs following the closure of most poultry farms due to the myriad of challenges facing the sector.

Currently, the price of a crate of egg ranges between N2,000 and N2,500, while the price per one ranges between N80 to N100, depending on the location.

The association attributed the high cost of eggs to the high cost of maize and soybeans, lack of access to credit facilities by the farmers, insecurity, lack of access roads to poultry farms, among other challenges.

Chairman of PAN, Federal Capital Territory Chapter, Mr Pius Aminu, said unless the government intervenes by addressing the myriads of challenges bedeviling poultry farmers in the country, the prices will continue to increase.

He appealed to the Federal Government and the FCT Minister to assist farmers through the provision of grants, making loan facilities flexible and easily accessible to farmers as well as guarantee their security.

Aminu, who noted that the demand for eggs is currently higher than the few farms presently in production, said the association can’t guarantee if the price of the product will reduce.

He said, “At the moment, it is very difficult for the price of eggs to come down, rather it will continue to rise because the demand is higher than supply due to the number of farms that have closed down.

“We are not sure how much we are going to buy in the next one month, it may go as high as N2,500 or more as the case may be.

“Exchange rates are really affecting micro ingredients used to formulate feed, so for now, we do not know but definitely I can’t guarantee that price will remain as it is now.”