Home News PAN Demands Urgent Ban on Soybean, Maize Export to Save Poultry Industry

PAN Demands Urgent Ban on Soybean, Maize Export to Save Poultry Industry

by AgroNigeria

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on the Federal Government to immediately halt the export of soybeans, soybean meals, and maize to prevent the total collapse of the poultry industry.

Speaking during a visit to the Minister of Livestock Development, PAN’s National President, Sunday Ezeobiora, urged the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to discontinue export incentives for critical commodities that are already in short supply, stressing the need to prioritize national food security over foreign trade.

He emphasized that maize and soybeans account for 80% of poultry production costs, yet prices have soared due to uncoordinated policies, hoarding, and unchecked exports. 

He lamented that Nigeria’s non-GMO soybeans are being exported in large quantities, creating scarcity and price hikes that threaten local poultry farmers.

To address the crisis, Ezeobiora proposed that the government serve as a buyer of last resort for maize at Minimum Guaranteed Prices (MGP) instead of competing with consumers and farmers at harvest periods. 

He also urged the CBN to stop funding grain aggregators, accusing them of stockpiling maize and soybeans to artificially inflate prices.

As part of broader solutions, he called for a zero-duty policy on imported poultry inputs and equipment, arguing that removing tariffs would ease production costs and drive job creation and economic growth. 

He further urged the government to sustain the ban on frozen poultry imports, emphasizing that foreign investors should establish poultry farms in Nigeria instead of flooding the market with imports.

Highlighting disease outbreaks as another major threat, Ezeobiora called for increased investment in active and passive surveillance to curb Avian Influenza and other poultry diseases. 

He also demanded an end to multiple taxation on agricultural commodities, urging the Joint Tax Board to eliminate illegal revenue collection agencies affecting poultry businesses.

He warned that if urgent interventions are not implemented, more poultry farms will shut down, worsening food insecurity and economic hardship. 

While acknowledging past government efforts to support poultry production, he stressed that policy consistency and long-term strategies spanning 10 to 20 years are essential for sustainable growth in Nigeria’s poultry industry.

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