A poultry farmer, Emmanuel Iregbeyen, has commended the Lagos State Government for ensuring unhindered access of farmers to their farms during the ongoing lockdown to contain COVID-19.
Iregbeyen, the Chief Executive Officer of Emiraz Farms, located in Ojo, an outskirt of Lagos State, gave the commendation in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Saturday.
The farmer said following the lockdown of the state due to COVID-19, the state government had given poultry farmers the opportunity to go about their businesses if they could identify themselves.
He said: “The state government has been very fair to the poultry sub sector and the entire agricultural sector.
“They allow us move freely to our farms on identification by the police; that is a good initiative on the part of the government.
“In Ojo, where most farmers operate, we issued identification letters to our customers, which they show to the policemen, who allow them free access to buy our products.
“During this period, we ought to witness glut, but we have not experienced that; I want to believe that is the situation everywhere.
“The state government also ensured we have easy access to feeds and any material we need at the poultry.”
Iregbeyen, however, said the restriction had affected patronage of the business because not all were able come to the farms.
He said: “This is the Easter season, sales ordinarily ought to have been high because customers are shopping for Easter celebration, but we are not complaining.
“We look forward to expansion and better sales after the pandemic.
“The good thing about the lockdown is that we do not get to see smuggled poultry in the country anymore.
“The sellers of smuggled poultry no longer have access to the smuggled goods as such they now come to buy from us.
“So the lockdown has been a plus for the poultry sub-sector to a large extent.
“The joy we have is that the government is recognising everything that has to do with food.”
NAN.
Follow The Eagle Online Channel on WhatsApp
