By Olaitan Ibrahim
Eggs have become inaccessible for several Nigerian homes who cannot afford to pay N6000 to purchase a crate of the poultry products.
The average price of a crate of eggs has hit N6, 000 in various parts of Nigeria, from less than N3000 per crate 12-15 months ago.
The major driver of the rising price is the skyrocketing cost of inputs, particularly feed, maize and soybeans. High petrol prices have also been blamed for the price jump.
A metric ton of maize currently goes for N710,000 as against N480,000 per metric ton in 2023, indicating a 48 percent price rise in one year, according to prices on AFEX Commodity website.
Similarly, a metric ton of soybeans now sells for N837,000 as against N425,000 in the corresponding period of 2023, representing a 97 percent increase in price over a one-year period. Poultry feed has exceeded N20, 000 per bag from N9,000 sold a year earlier.
Pius Aminu, chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), FCT Chapter, said the rising egg prices have resulted in nutritional deficiencies across the country.
Aminu urged the federal government to declare a state of emergency on egg production to ensure accessibility and affordability of the poultry product for citizens.
“The federal government should urgently declare a state of emergency on egg production. The current decline is alarming, and the country cannot afford to rely on egg importation,” Aminu said.
Aminu noted that foreign exchange fluctuations and high petrol prices have driven eggs prices across the nation.
He noted that the situation has forced several farmers out of business, leading to the closure of hundreds of poultry farms and a rise in unemployment.
“The poultry industry employs a significant number of people, especially in lower-income groups. Each farm typically has at least four to five staff, so the closure of 100 farms directly translates into higher unemployment rates,” Aminu further said.
Sunday Ezeobiora, president of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), told BusinessDay earlier that owing to the high level of insecurity in the country, maize production has dropped by 50 percent in a year, estimating current production at 7 million metric tons (MT).
He noted that the poultry industry alone needs over four million metric tons of maize annually to meet farmers’ demand.
Ezeobiora noted that the record maize and soybean prices have shrunk the poultry industry value by 45 percent, from N10 trillion in 2022 to about N5.5 trillion currently.
Onallo Akpan, an Abuja-based poultry farmer, said demand for eggs and poultry products has continued to slow as inflation has eroded consumers’ purchasing power and forced many to cut down on purchases. Nigeria’s headline inflation stood at 32.15 percent in August 2024.
“From exchange volatility to the high cost of feeds, to supply chain disruption, to smuggling and the current low consumer demand induced by accelerating inflation and naira scarcity, it has been a chain of problems for the poultry industry since 2020,” said Akpa, who is also the director-general of PAN.
He further said that the declining demand for eggs, supply chain disruptions, high cost of feed, foreign exchange scarcity, avian influenza, and accelerating inflation are threatening the existence of several farms.
He urged the federal government to address the issue of insecurity to enable farmers to return to farms and grow enough maize for the entire country.
The country’s per capita daily protein intake is estimated to be 45.4g against the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s (FAO) minimum of 53.8g.
Ibrahim Kabiru, president of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), said due to debilitating issues affecting the poultry industry, he had to shut down one of his poultry farms in the North last year because he was running at a loss.