World Egg Day: PAN laments 300% increased production cost

Th e Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) has lamented the continuous high cost of production, saying the cost of grains has risen to over 300% without commensurate increase in the end products.
Th e association also called for the institutionalisation of egg a day per school in home grown school feeding program.
Th e Director-General Mr Onallo Akpa who spoke on Friday at a world press conference in Abuja also debunked claims that egg consumption causes or increase chances of heart attack (cardiovascular disease).
Akpa said: “Th e cost of production has drastically risen without commensurate increase in the price of the fi nal products.
And this is responsible for the closure of most of the farms because they are not making profi t.
What many engaged in is what I called suff ering and smiling.
“75% of the cost of production is principally based on grains, maize and soybean and the cost of these two has risen to about 300% in the last two and half years yet the prices of egg and broilers has not risen in commensurate.
” He called for a deliberate policy of an egg a day, saying this will create great impact assessment of school enrichment, cognitive development and mental development.
“Our prayer is for the government to initiate eggs and egg productsA as part of the feeding program of the various peace keeping operations all over the world.
” On the eff ects of egg, he said the right intake of egg builds human immune system and increases cognitive capability in children.
He faulted the various claims, stressing that beyond other benefi ts, moderate consumption of egg helps the eye, the skin, bones as well as pregnant women and their unborn children.
“In March, 2002, the American Heart Association guidelines were changed to allow 1 egg per day into the average healthy American diet thereby ending the association’s 30 years old campaign that limited egg consumption to 3 eggs per week,” Akpa said.
“Th e research fi nding suggests that it is saturated fat that raises cholesterol rather than dietary cholesterol.
” In her remarks, a nutritionist from the National Hospital, Abuja, Department of Dietetics, Mrs.
Sarah Abagai, expressed concerns on the unfavourable statistics of malnourished children in the country

 

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