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COVID-19: Poultry farmers decry egg glut in Plateau

Published

May 4, 2020

COVID-19: Poultry farmers decry egg glut in Plateau

Plateau poultry farmers have decried the rate of egg glut in the state and country at large because of the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Mr Sunday Rogo, the state Vice Chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), said this in an interview with newsmen on Monday in Jos.

He told newsmen that poultry farmers were floating the market with eggs without available buyers, hence making the farmers recording huge losses.

He lamented that the situation was already throwing many farmers out of business and called on the state and federal governments to intervene by moping up eggs from farmers to enable them remain in business, as well as save the economy from collapsing.

He advised that government could mop up the eggs and include it in the palliatives that would be distributed to the people to cushion the effect occasioned by the dreaded disease.

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“We are currently experiencing serious egg glut as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19. We are unable to sell our eggs because there are no buyers.

“We have over 4,000 poultry farmers in Plateau and each employs three to four persons as farm attendants. This means we are creating jobs.

“Allowing these farmers to go out of business well spell doom for the economy of the state and the nation by extension.

“So, we are calling on the state government to mop up these eggs from farmers to enable them remain in business and improve their personal income on one hand, and also jack up the revenue profile of the state on the other hand,” he advised.

Rogo also called on the state government to allow free movement of farmers during the lockdown, to enable them visit their farms and attend to their birds.

He explained that most farmers reside far from their farms, hence visiting their farms during lockdown has been a serious challenge.

“Most farmers hardly access their farms during the lockdown and it’s a serious challenge for us because if we don’t attend to our birds it’s a big problem.

“So, we want the government to issue a clear order that we should be allowed to move freely to our farms during the lockdown,” he urged.

Newsmen recall that the association had donated 150 crates of eggs to the state government for distribution to the people as palliative.

NAN