Owing to the fact that foodstuffs like soybeans and maize are becoming scarce in Nigeria, the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science has called on the Federal Government to ban the continued export of those commodities to reduce the scarcity as well curb their price hike in Nigeria.
According to the Registrar and
Chief Executive Officer, NIAL, Prof.
Eustance Iyayi, the poultry sector was currently hit by the severe scarcity
of maize and soybean. While speaking with newsmen in Abuja, he made it clear
that the ban had become imperative due to the continued export of the
commodities, the COVID-19 pandemic, which had disorganised the international
supply chain, lingering insecurity in the North-East, farmers/herders conflict
and flooding in some parts of the country.
In Prof. Iyayi’s own words, “Maize and soybean are being exported and this has
exacerbated the situation leading to local scarcity and price escalation of the
commodities in poultry production. The increasing prices of the essential
commodities have resulted in the increase in price of finished feeds by about
75 per cent. This has led to the closure of small and medium sized poultry
farms thereby threatening about 10 million jobs as a result of this scarcity. To
set the poultry industry from total collapse, the institute urges the
government to immediately halt the exportation of soybean and maize and grant
import permit to importers at the official foreign exchange rate.”
Iyayi said there was shortage of
soybean in Nigeria and other countries, stressing that the little amount being
produced across the country should not be exported. He said the current maize
yield of about one to two tonnes per hectare being produced in Nigeria would
not be enough to sustain the country.
The NIAL helmsman stated that the
country should be producing between seven and 10 tonnes per hectare in order to
meet the requirements for humans and animals.
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