The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) Wednesday charged the federal government to prevent the country from becoming a dumping ground for all poultry products.
The national president of PAN, Ichie Sunday Ezeobiora, who gave the charge, said there is the need to sustain the current import restriction policy on poultry and poultry products.
He stressed that the, “Alarming and negative narration of the situation of the poultry industry today is that the fortune of the industry is nosediving, leading to the closure of some poultry farms for the obvious reasons known to all of us.”
According to him, the Nigerian poultry industry today finds itself in a precarious position, confronted with an array of challenges, ranging from soaring feed costs to policy dilemmas.
“The issue of multiple taxation on agricultural commodities and products of the poultry industry by the various states’ internal revenue boards or agencies should be critically looked into by the Joint Tax Board, with the possibility of abolishing all illegal revenue collection agencies or task forces.
“Promoting pro-poor rural poultry development programs by increasing investments in rural infrastructure, agriculture, research, and development. This will assist in reducing the rural–urban migration of youths, as both the youths and women could be strong agents for poultry development,” he said.