Some small-holder poultry farmers in the Northeast and the Southwest have urged government at all levels to intervene and save the sub-sector from imminent collapse.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday in Borno Yobe and Adamawa states in the Northeast poultry farmers described the rising cost of inputs as a serious threat to productivity.
In the Southwest the concerned farmers in Osun Ondo and Ekiti states sought the government’s help to overcome soaring production costs among other challenges facing the sub-sector.
A farmer and dealer in poultry feeds and medicines Mr. Godwin Dedan called for targeted government interventions to address the challenges facing small-scale producers.
He said rising feed costs remained a major concern requiring government support for local production of essential feed ingredients.
‘Such interventions could include subsidising poultry feed ingredients supporting local production of maize and soybean and establishing affordable feed-milling facilities’ he said.
Dedan also called for low-interest loans and grants to enable small-holder farmers to purchase day-old chicks feeds vaccines and other essential inputs.
He said sustained government support improved market access and affordable production inputs were necessary to keep small-holder farmers in business.
Dedan insisted that such measures would also promote employment opportunities and strengthen food security in the state.
Malam Haruna Ismail a grower of between 50 and 100 birds in Yola South said the price of day-old chicks had increased from between N980 and N1050 in 2025 to the current N2270.
He added that a bag of poultry feed previously sold for between N16000 and N18000 now costs between N21600 and N23000.
Ismail said the cost of poultry medicines also increased with some sachets previously sold from N400 to N800 now costing between N1800 and N2000.
He said the situation had forced him to reduce the number of birds purchased and adjust expenditure on feed and medications.
Another farmer in Yola North Mrs. Peace Samuel said that with the rising cost of production poultry farming had become increasingly unsustainable.
‘After rearing birds for six to seven weeks and feeding them at such high costs it will be fair to sell at N20000 each.
‘But some people may prefer to buy beef for N10000 instead of chicken’ she said.
Samuel said some farmers were consequently forced to reduce their selling prices to attract customers because they could not afford continued feeding.
She identified disease outbreaks including coccidiosis Newcastle disease and Gumboro as additional challenges confronting poultry farming.
According to her delayed treatment of infections could result in high bird mortality and significant financial losses.
In Biu Borno State small-holder poultry farmers also appealed to the state and Federal Government to support them to unlock the numerous job opportunities in the subsector.
Mr. Shettima Isa the Manager of Shettima Farms in Tum said a bag of feed was selling for N18000 as against N10000 previously.
‘This is increasingly becoming unbearable because you will spend huge money on feeds and vaccines and end up selling the broiler for between N8000 and N12000 depending on their sizes.
‘We hardly make enough profit and so many stopped the business and many jobs were lost too because it’s a value chain.
‘If the government will support poultry farmers in Biu and in the entire state we will have more jobs created and have more food for Nigerians’ he said.
Malam Usman Kabiru another poultry farmer in Biu town said he was forced to abandon poultry farming in view of the high cost of feeds and poor pricing.
Kabiru however said if the government would support them by subsidising feeds and other inputs he might reconsider reinvesting in the business.
A Potiskum-based poultry farmer in Yobe Malam Isa Bawa noted that prices of poultry feeds recorded a significant increase in the last five years.
‘As of four to five years back the price of a sack of poultry feed was between N5000 and N7000 but gradually reached N23000 for starter and N21000 for finisher’ he said.
Another poultry farmer in Potiskum Alhaji Usman Maidede said the high cost of feed had cut down the number of poultry farmers in the area a situation that sometimes led to the scarcity of eggs and birds.
‘When the price is high the farmers rear less which in turn causes less availability for the buyers.’
Also poultry farmers in the Southwest urged government at all levels to establish cooperative feed milling outlets to provide farmers with subsidised poultry feeds.
They noted that skyrocketing production costs were threatening the survival of the industry.
The poultry farmers who spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) yesterday said the initiative would significantly reduce production costs and ease the financial burden on farmers.
The Chairman of Poultry Farmers Association of Nigeria (PAN) in Osun State Dr. Alaba Towoju said the soaring prices of poultry feed day-old chicks and pullets made it increasingly difficult for farmers to cope.
According to him day-old chicks and pullets now sell for N2000 each which is excessive and detrimental to the growth of the poultry industry.
‘Poultry farmers buy feed at high prices from feed millers and are later forced to sell their products below profitable levels leaving them in perpetual losses.
‘Maize supplied by the government to support poultry farmers often ends up with feed millers who allegedly increased prices making it difficult for farmers to afford feed.
‘Government should closely monitor the distribution of subsidised maize to feed millers to ensure that the benefits are passed on to farmers through affordable feed prices’ he said.
Towoju however said proactive measures were necessary to boost poultry production protect farmers’ livelihoods and ensure food security in the country.
Also the Chairman of All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN) in Osun State Alhaji Wahaab Bello noted that the federal and state governments had periodically supported farmers including those in the livestock sector.
Bello noted that farmers had benefited from agricultural support programmes including the FADAMA III programme where farming implements were provided.
‘The Federal Ministry of Agriculture through its Department of Livestock provided farmers with 50 chicks and feed to support poultry production.
‘High cost of feed is the major challenge facing poultry farmers while the prices of ingredients used in its production are also high.
‘Feed sellers cannot be entirely blamed for the high prices because the raw materials required for production are equally expensive.
‘The government should intervene by reducing the cost of agricultural inputs and providing grants to ease farmers’ operational challenges’ he said.
In Ekiti State a poultry farmer Mr. Daniel Ajayi said the rising cost of poultry feed and unfavourable market conditions were threatening the survival of the business in the state.
The farmer said a bag of feed that was sold for N9000 last year now sells between N20000 and N23000 while the price of maize and soya – the major components – had tripled.
He noted that the development had forced many smallholder farmers to reduce flock size switch to alternative local feed or shut down entirely.
The Chairman of Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) in Ekiti State Mr. Alonge Oluwasetemi said only 15 to 25 per cent of members were still producing optimally.
‘Feed now accounts for about 75 per cent of production cost making it impossible for farmers to break even when consumers cannot afford the products’ he stated.
A broiler seller at Oja Oba Market in Ado-Ekiti Mrs. Funmi Ajayi said she used to sell 100 birds daily but now barely sells 30 birds.
‘People don’t have money to buy. A medium chicken that was N3500 is now N7000 and customers are negotiating N4000. Farmers now struggle to sell or even offer birds on credit’ she said.
A veterinary doctor in Ikere-Ekiti Dr. Femi Olabode told NAN that some feed millers were now compromising quality saying ‘maize should be 50 per cent of feed but now they put 35 per cent to make profit.
‘So birds don’t gain weight; layers produce 50 per cent instead of 90 per cent. This increases mortality and disease risk. It is a vicious cycle’ he stated.
The Chairman of PAN in the Southwest Oluleye Olugbeja appealed to government to address the feed cost noting that ‘feed is 75 per cent of our cost.
‘If government can release grains from the national reserve at a subsidised price give single-digit loans from the Bank of Agriculture and support insurance against disease farmers can survive.
‘Otherwise this N4.2 trillion industry that gives 25 million jobs will collapse’ Olugbeja said.
SIWE’s Coordinator at the Federal College of Agriculture Akure Ondo State Dr. Joshua Sunday Ayantayo explained that raising 50 birds to table size now required nothing less than N400000 excluding mortality and other costs.
Ayantayo also a poultry farmer said many farmers were cutting corners by not vaccinating their birds appropriately because they could not afford both feed and drugs while others have reduced their flock.
‘Those who have been raising 1000 are reducing to around 500; some are reducing from 500 to 300′ he said.
Ayantayo urged the government to intervene by subsidising feed production and empowering farmers who produce raw materials particularly maize.
He noted that the price of feed would remain high as long as the country continued to import maize which is a major ingredient in feed production.
The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Wholesome Chicken Farm in Akure Mr. Tayo Ayorinde noted that poor farm management disease outbreaks inadequate marketing strategies and corruption in government intervention programmes are major factors driving poultry farmers out of business in Nigeria.
Ayorinde who acknowledged the high cost of poultry production in the country said it was unrealistic to attribute farmers’ abandonment of their farms solely to rising prices of feed and other production inputs.
He explained that poultry farmers could remain profitable despite the high cost of production if they maintained good production standards and develop effective marketing strategies.
According to him some farmers incur losses due to their inability to plan their sales properly particularly when they produce large quantities of birds without adequate arrangements for marketing them.
He noted that disease outbreaks attacks by soldier ants vaccine failure and theft were also among the challenges capable of forcing farmers to abandon their businesses.
Ayorinde advised poultry farmers to prioritise farm hygiene and biosecurity measures to protect their birds against diseases and other infections.
He added that pilfering could also undermine farmers’ profitability as the theft of birds and other farm resources reduced their expected returns.
Ayorinde acknowledged the introduction of various programmes by the government to support farmers but lamented that corruption and diversion of resources had undermined their effectiveness.
Also the owner of Olajesu Farm a retail poultry inputs store in Akure Mrs. Aminat Olaitan said the rising cost of poultry feed and other inputs had reduced demand and patronage.
Olaitan said a bag of finisher feed is between N22000 and N24000 compared with N16000 and N18000 before depending on the brand claiming that she could hardly sell four bags in a week compared with eight to 10 bags before the increase in price.
Olaitan appealed to the government to intervene particularly by addressing the high cost of transportation and subsidising poultry inputs.
A major poultry feed seller and CEO of PearlFak Limited in Arakale in Akure Mrs. Abiola Fakinlede noted that feed production companies relied heavily on expensive diesel to run their plants while bad road networks caused long transportation delays.
On price trends over the last six months Fakinlede pointed out that feed prices experienced a brief drop before July but have maintained a steep continuous upward spiral ever since.
‘From July to date feed prices have been going up drastically and within a single week the price can change more than once’ she stated.
She emphasised that the severe inflation cuts across the entire market rather than affecting isolated feed companies.
‘When farmers come to buy feed instead of buying full bags many end up buying half bags which forces them to ration the feed and causes their birds to suffer’ she said.
She explained that this continuous feed rationing has led to a reduction in egg production and forced many smallholders to cut down their flock sizes.
To resolve the challenges Fakinlede called on the government to subsidise the cost of raw materials stabilise fuel and diesel prices rehabilitate bad roads and restore security in agricultural zones.