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Farmers push for forex removal on poultry products

The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has called on the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to reverse the foreign exchange (forex) removal on importation of poultry products into the country to save the industry from total collapse.

PAN, in a statement issued by its President, Sunday Ezeobiora and the Director-General of PAN, Onallo Akpa, said the policy of forex removal has heightened the fears of the farmers and investors in the poultry industry and compounded the already collapsing production in the sector.

PAN urged the Federal Government to maintain the import restriction policy on frozen poultry products and eggs as any attempt to succumb to pressures from anywhere will spell disasters not only to the poultry industry but to the Nigerian economy.

They however called for immediate engagement with the PAN towards making available the needed raw materials such as maize and soya to revive collapsing farms as the poultry industry is the most capitalized sub-sector of Nigerian agriculture.

 The Association further requested for an immediate funding program to the sector so that the industry does not die.

The gains recorded by the poultry industry in the last 20 years cannot be eroded in a jiffy by market economy deregulation.

The issue of multiple taxation on poultry enterprises and products by the various states’ Internal Revenue Boards or agencies should be critically looked into by the Joint Tax Board with a view of abolishing all unnecessary taxes on food by either the revenue collection agencies or taskforce.

 “The Federal Ministry of Finance and the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) have great roles to play in this matter.

“We remain the most commercialised sector providing employment to over 20 million Nigerians, providing the cheapest source of rich protein to end malnutrition, assured gender balancing in the employment and provision of trade to women and youths, stabilizing the national food security of the nation by boosting the other sectors of agriculture like crop production and agronomy, contribute over 25 per cent of the livestock agricultural gross domestic product of the national economy,” the statement added.