The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has blamed the increase in the country of poultry produce on the ongoing Russia/Ukraine war.
The PAN Lagos state chairman, Mr Godwin Egbebe, made this known on Wednesday in Lagos.
According to him, the scarcity of wheat and rise in its price in the global market has affected the cost of production in the poultry sector.
“The price of poultry produce generally has not plummeted but will keep rising because of the increase in the cost of wheat due to the Ukraine/Russia invasion.
“It is common knowledge that Russia supplies about 10 per cent of wheat produced globally while Ukraine produces 5 per cent of world wheat production.
“However with the invasion and different sanctions placed on Russia wheat has become scarce and more expensive in the international market.
“The hike in wheat price and scarcity of the produce has affected the poultry sector in terms of cost in production of bird feed,” Egbebe said.
Egbebe explained that the price of wheat has increased the cost across the production line as it served as substitutes to corn in bird feed.
“The cost of wheat has currently tripled in the market because it serves as an alternative to corn in bird feed production.
“We make use of wheat to support maize in bird feed production. So as long as global wheat price keeping rising, poultry produce will keep increasing.
“The cost of eggs for example is not commensurate to the cost incurred during production like we face in the procurement of bird feed.
“The least you can get a crate of egg is N1800 and it is a give away price. Price for a crate of egg now sells between N2000 and N2200.
“We may not have issues of egg glut (surplus egg supply) this year because of the shortfall of production in the poultry sector,” Egbebe said.
