Poultry farmers in Nigeria will soon heave a sigh of relief as President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the release of 5,000 Metric Tonnes of maize from the National Strategic Grains Reserve to help resolve the challenge of the poultry feeds ravaging the country.
The grains are to be supplied to the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) at a subsidized rate of N90,000 (Ninety Thousand Naira only per Metric tonne as against the current market price of N170,000 (One Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira only).
This was conveyed to the Minster of Agriculture and Rural Development, Alhaji Muhammad Sabo Nanono in a letter from State House with reference No: SH/COS/05/A/26/1, signed by the Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari.
Read Also: Flood wreaks havoc in Katsina State capital
The Poultry industry, which accounts for about 27% of the Agricultural Gross Domestic Product of the economy and provides about 20 million direct and indirect employments, has been struggling with the volatility of maize prices and scarcity since the recent suspension of foreign exchange to Maize importers.
The minister has assured the poultry farmers of the readiness of the ministry to immediately comply with the presidential directive in order to salvage the subsector.
(Editor: Nkoli Omhoudu)
