Poultry farmers fear industry may collapse over removal of FX restriction

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on the federal government to retain import restrictions on poultry products, saying lifting of restriction may lead to the collapse of the industry in Nigeria.

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) pronounced removal of restriction on FOREX allocation for Poultry products and other items.

PAN in a press release signed by National President, Ichie Sunday Ezeobiora and the Director General, Onallo S. Akpa respectively, said the government should maintain the import restriction policy on frozen chicken into Nigeria.

“The over 12 trillion-naira Industry is about to collapse! And this will obviously result to loss of the jobs of millions of Nigerians employed in the Industry; negate the fight on food insecurity and growing the local economy,” it said. .

PAN also called for immediate engagement with the Poultry Association towards making available needed raw materials like Maize and Soya to revive the collapsing farms as the Poultry industry is the most capitalized subsector of the Nigerian Agriculture.

The Association also called on the federal government to commence funding programme for the industry does not collapse and the country once again becomes a dumping ground for all sorts of poultry and poultry products from abroad with the attendant rise in unemployment due to millions of job lost.

The association express it committed to contribute to the development of the Nigeria poultry industry as part of efforts to ensure food security for the country.