The Poultry Association of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abeokuta, Ogun State, urged the Federal Government to find a lasting solution to the rising cost of poultry feed in the country.

The association made the call during the opening of the 12th edition of the Nigeria Poultry Show in Abeokuta.

The show has as its theme “Mitigating the challenges of the poultry industry: Current perspectives, the role of government and the private sector.”

PAN noted that the challenge of rising cost of poultry feed, as well as other challenges facing the poultry industry were greatly affecting the sector.

Its South-West Zone Chairman, Mr Gideon Oluleye, said the event was aimed at finding lasting solutions to the challenges facing the poultry industry and revive it.

“The Federal Government needs to review its recent pronouncement on lifting the ban on poultry products. Lifting the ban on poultry products will collapse the poultry industry in Nigeria. Rather, the government should support us by facilitating easy access to loans.

”It should also help with marketing our products by collaborating with the poultry industry through policies like the school feeding programme, as well as feeding at the correctional centres and internally displaced person centres. These are situations where poultry products can be included in the feeding scheme,” Mr Oluleye said.

Also speaking, PAN’s National President, Mr Sunday Ezeobiora, decried the high cost of production, and listed funding, infrastructure, marketing as some of the present challenges facing the poultry industry.

“If these are not handled well, they may kill the poultry industry in Nigeria,” he said.

Commissioners for Agriculture from states in the South-West geo-political zone were present at the occasion.

Those from Ogun (Mr Bolu Owotomo), Lagos ( Abisola Olusanya) and Oyo (Mr Olasunkunmi Oluleye) delivered goodwill messages during the ceremony.

They pledged their continuous support for the agriculture sector in their states, pointing out that it was in line with the Federal Government’s move to enhance food production in the country.

(NAN)