The Egg Sellers and Distributors Association of Nigeria (ESDAN), Lagos, has appealed to the federal and state governments to further fund the egg industry for a better wellbeing.

The ESDAN national president, Olaide Graham, made the appeal while speaking with journalists at a programme organised to celebrate the World Egg Day in Lagos.

The theme of the World Egg Day was: ‘United By Eggs.’

Ms Graham who commended the government for their efforts in the agriculture industry stressed the need for enhanced funding for the egg sellers and distributors.

“Actually, the government has been supportive to poultry farmers. Last year, I heard they gave some maize and relief funds but we are different from poultry farmers.

“One of our challenges is that we don’t have access to any government loan as marketers which is our main challenge because poultry farmers need funds.

“If we have enough funds to purchase then it will be better for both poultry farmers and marketers.

“The government is trying especially for agric sector but you know that if the job is partially done people won’t see it. We pray that God will help them to further channel the fund in the right direction,” she said.

She thanked the government for providing a truck for them last year to convey eggs from the farm to their customers, saying it had been helpful in the area of distribution.

“It has helped us to curb unnecessary exploitation, so, we need them to further help us in the area of funds.

“If there is any loan we can access as a body to purchase the egg from the farm, it will be better for us.

“The loans we are getting from investors are not much and it is not helpful. We are just managing them because we can’t just go out of business,” she said.

On the persistent hike in the price of egg, Ms Graham said that it was not peculiar to the agric sector but all other sectors of the country.

“Actually, it is not only eggs that is expensive. Everything ranging from food stuffs to other commodities are very expensive because of the economic situation and it is not only in Nigeria but all over the world.

“The exchange rate is high. As for eggs, why the price is up is because the feed is now expensive which affects everything.

“It is not anybody’s fault. We don’t have enough eggs to go round because of the situation of the feeds. Just few poultry farmers are forging ahead and we hope that in the nearest future things will normalise.

“Our government is trying and doing their best in the agric industry and we pray that God will help them and their efforts will not be in vain. We just need to be patient,” she said.

She said that egg was the cheapest protein anyone could find around.

“Egg is very important to all and sundry and it is necessary to recognise the importance of egg and this is why today is being celebrated all over the world,” she said.

She, however, called on poultry farmers, distributors and marketers to be united in order to move the sector forward.

“Both poultry farmers and egg marketers are in the same poultry value chain.

“When there is no unity things don’t go the way it should go and the theme of World Egg Day is United by Eggs.

“We have been doing all we can to ease the pain of poultry farmers in the area of distribution. We came on board in 2018 and all we have been doing is ease the pain of poultry farmers.

“The problem of production is marketing, if you produce and no one to market it, nothing will come out of it and it is not that we cannot go into poultry farming but who will now be in the distribution department,” she noted.

Ms Graham, however, urged Nigerians to take an egg daily for healthy living.

“Take one egg per day because we need egg all the days of our lives.

“Egg is important, we have been going around to tell people about the importance of egg and the motive of this celebration is to join the world to let the people know about the importance of egg,” she said.

She appealed to the members to be patriotic, adding that they should be satisfied with whatever profit they make.

“This is not the time to inflate the price or exploit the customers and let us be mindful of one another and things will get better,” she said.

One of the egg sellers, Ibironke Macaulay, said that she had been in the business for 30 years.

“The business is very profitable but one of the challenges is the scarcity of the product and the farmers are not making it easy for the sellers.

“Assuming you buy an egg for one naira today and sell at two naira, by the next time you go to the farm, they will tell you is N250 which is difficult.

“We seek the support of the producer of these eggs and the sellers, let there be cooperation instead of price fluctuations.

“Though we know the situation of the country but we also make things difficult for the citizens,” she said.

Another egg seller, Hassan Shakira, said that she had been in the business for seven years.

“It has been very wonderful and one of the advantages is that it keeps you off the streets because you are employed,” she said.

There were road walks and free food distribution to Lagos residents to commemorate the day.

(NAN)