The Poultry Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to intervene in the agricultural sector by subsidising food production in order to reduce cost of feeding.
Ezekiel Mam, National President of the association who made the call while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Thursday in commemoration of Nigeria’s 60th independence, emphasized that the gesture would improve citizens’ quality of life.
Mam decried the high cost per capita in the nation’s economy at the moment saying that it was too high to attract investors.
He appealed for the reduction on the cost of capital, as well as creation of enabling environment for farmers by having guaranteed minimum price in place for their produce.
Mam said that subsidizing the agriculture sector would mobilise large number of Nigerians to the farms and invariably food would be cheaper, easily accessible, with more than enough in circulation.
The president, who commended the government for deregulation of the petroleum sector identified food as the top hierarchy need of the populace that needed to be subsidised.
He also called for investment in agricultural research.
Mam says presently, the yield per hectre in Nigeria is very low compared to other developing economies.
“At the moment, we just produce two to three metric tonnes per hectre. If we can move it even to seven tonnes, it will be better because in some other economies, they are producing 10 to 12 metric tonnes per hectre.
“lnvariably, their corn is going to be cheaper. You cannot compare us that is producing three metric tons with somebody that is producing 12 tonnes, we don’t have have the comparative advantage which is actually a big challenge.
“So, we need to really invest in agricultural research so that we can improve our yield,” he
said.
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