A local poultry farmer, Mr Joel Oduware, has decried the growing level of egg glut in the country, attributing it to the novel coronavirus pandemic currently ravaging the world.
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Oduware, who is also an egg processor, raised the alarm in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
He said that local egg farmers have begun to count their losses due to dwindling demand for eggs at this period, with the closure of schools.
“Presently, the major problem poultry farmers are experiencing is not related to chicken, but in the demand and supply for eggs.
“Farmers are complaining of egg glut because the schools have been shut for a long time and this is what is creating problems for the sellers too.
“Statistics have shown that school children consume more eggs than adults do,’’ the farmer told NAN.
According to him, farmers are complaining of having unsold eggs, which are becoming rotting.
“A crate of the egg is presently being sold at N750 as against the usual N1000 because of the glut in the market as the supply is more than the demand.’’
Oduware also called on the Federal Government to formulate policies that will help improve the value- chain for egg production in the country.
He said it was necessary to support the set-up of local egg powder factories and ensure that multinational companies patronise the local egg powder producers to minimise the egg glut.
“We need to step up action for the preservation of eggs in this country.
“Most multinational companies that use egg powder still import them from abroad.
“They complain that the quality of our local eggs is poor and lack nutritional value.
“This should not be so; the government should withhold foreign exchange from importers of egg powder and compel these companies to patronise local egg powder.
“We can invest in the value chain of egg production,’’ Oduware said.
The farmer, however, said that the processed chicken market “is presently experiencing a boom as demand for local chicken is on the increase’’ because of the lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19.
“We are not having problems for chicken processors because the market has been stable.
“The sale of processed chicken has been active, especially during this pandemic period.
“In the case of the sales of chicken, demand is more stable in comparison to the demand for eggs.
“The sale of locally processed chicken is on the high side as Nigerians no longer have access to the smuggled ones,’’ he said.