Agriculture
THE Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on the Federal Government to make egg part of the Prisons Feeding Programme and that of various peace keeping operations in the country.
The National President of the association, Mr Ezekiel Ibrahim made the call during the 2019 World Egg Day news conference in Abuja on Friday.
Ibrahim urged the Federal Government to make “An Egg a Day per Nigerian Child” compulsory in primary schools throughout the federation.
“We appeal that egg should be made part of our emergency management by making it a priority food product to be supplied to displaced people at various locations or camps throughout the country.
“We also want to appeal to the Federal Government to direct the Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) to reverse current practice of returning all agricultural equipment from zero duty to five per cent arbitrarily. It is disincentive to agriculture,“ he said.
Ibrahim, while commending the Federal Government for the recent border closure, appealed that the borders should remain closed until the neighbouring countries signed undertaking not to become transit camps for smuggling of goods to Nigeria.
He appealed to the Federal Government to further reduce bank interest on loans from nine per cent to five per cent for all agricultural enterprises among other things.
The president said all commodity associations should be made part of the monitoring and evaluation group to monitor all loans and advances to farmers for strict compliance.
“We appeal to government to reduce tariffs on inputs for poultry production like premises, methionine, lysine, veterinary pharmaceuticals, fishmeal, toxin binders and others to make poultry products affordable for Nigerians.
“The government should also provide and make more research funds available to universities, especially the departments of Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.
“The funds should be extended to Extension Research Departments of the universities and other research institutes to conduct research on how to mitigate effect of heat on poultry and animal production,” he said.
Ibrahim, while expressing optimism that the Federal Government would actualise the requests made, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to agricultural transformation.
“We commend the president for the bold step he has taken to close the borders between Nigeria and her neighbours especially with the Republic of Benin.
“Benin has been the transit camp for the smuggling of over 1 million metric tonnes of frozen chicken into the country for the past 10 years.
`Now, with the closure of the border, production activities in the broiler meat industry have increased to 70 per cent from the previous 45 per cent capacity utilisation.
“Employment opportunities of about 500,000 persons in the broiler meat value chain are expected to be fully explored as long as the border, especially with the Republic of Benin remains closed.
He urged the Federal Government to as a matter of policy resuscitate some national programmes that would help ameliorate health challenges faced by Nigerians using egg.
“We further appreciate the president for making it possible for the commercial banks to finance agriculture at a single digit interest rate of nine per cent especially the Anchor Borrowers Programme among other interventions.”
He said that various researches by the Food Agriculture Organisation (FAO) indicated that in the next 40 years, meat and egg production would have grown by 75 per cent to meet the demand for animal protein.
Ibrahim said that with the requirement, the Federal Government needed to pay special attention to the poultry industry.
He pledged that as a body of poultry producers, the association would continue to be committed to producing wholesome and affordable poultry products of egg and poultry meat for citizens. (NAN)
– Oct 11, 2019 @ 15:55 GMT |
Tags: PAN urges FG to make egg part of prison feeding programme
