They have called for urgent government intervention and stronger collaboration across the livestock value chain to lower production costs, improve access to affordable financing and increase domestic poultry production.
The Chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Southwest Zone, Oluleye Olugbeja, made the call in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while speaking ahead of the 2026 Nigerian Poultry Show, scheduled for 3 to 5 November.
The event, themed “Building a Sustainable and Resilient Poultry Industry in Challenging Times”, is expected to bring together farmers, investors, researchers, financial institutions, government representatives and other industry stakeholders to discuss solutions to the challenges confronting the sector.
Olugbeja said practical measures were needed to sustain poultry production amid prevailing economic pressures.
While acknowledging government efforts to address challenges in agriculture, he urged industry professionals to apply innovation and technical expertise to improve productivity and make food more affordable.
He also emphasised the link between food security and national security, warning that a country’s inability to provide sufficient food for its population could fuel public discontent and instability.
“A country that can secure its external borders but cannot secure food for the people hardly will be stable because people will agitate,” he said.
According to Olugbeja, the poultry show is designed to expose farmers to modern technologies, research findings and investment opportunities that could improve operational efficiency and increase the availability of affordable animal protein.
He added that the exhibition would provide a platform for farmers to engage financial institutions and investors on funding opportunities to expand their businesses.
Technologies expected to feature at the event include modern poultry equipment, improved feeding systems, precision farming, data-driven production methods, organic farming and enhanced biosecurity practices.
Olugbeja said exhibitors and experts from countries including the United States, China, India, Israel and Australia, as well as Europe, would showcase technologies and solutions for improving poultry production.
He noted that the event would cater to a broad range of participants, including commercial farmers, feed millers, animal drug manufacturers, animal scientists, logistics providers, entrepreneurs and young people interested in entering the industry.
Feed costs consume 75% of production expenses
Also speaking ahead of the event, the Chairman of the Nigerian Poultry Show, Dr Olalekan Odunsi, identified high feed prices, inadequate financing, insecurity, disease outbreaks, limited insurance coverage and shortages of day-old chicks, particularly pullets, as major challenges facing poultry farmers.
Odunsi said feed accounted for approximately 75 per cent of poultry production costs, making access to affordable grains and other feed ingredients essential to the survival of poultry businesses.
“If feed is not made available, it will be a challenge,” he said, calling for measures to ensure farmers could obtain feed ingredients at affordable prices.
He also urged the government and financial institutions to make agricultural loans available at affordable single-digit interest rates, arguing that lower borrowing costs would enable farmers to expand production and meet rising demand for poultry products.
“A lot of farmers need to expand so that we can feed the populace, but finance is a challenge. How do we bring down the interest rate to a bearable amount?” he asked.
Odunsi further called for stronger insurance coverage against losses resulting from disease outbreaks and other unforeseen events. He urged insurance companies to develop products tailored to the specific risks faced by poultry businesses.
Chick shortages and insecurity compound farmers’ woes
The poultry industry leader also raised concerns over the scarcity and rising prices of day-old chicks, particularly pullets, saying the trend had increased the cost of establishing and operating poultry farms.
He noted that raising pullets from day-old chicks to the point-of-lay stage had become increasingly expensive, while broiler chicks had also recorded significant price increases.
The situation, he said, was adding to the financial burden on farmers already struggling with high feed costs and limited access to credit.
On security, Odunsi disclosed that some farmers were becoming reluctant to visit their farms because of safety concerns. He said the event’s organisers were engaging security agencies to explore possible solutions.
He maintained that addressing the challenges would require coordinated action by government agencies, financial institutions, insurance providers and other stakeholders across the poultry value chain.
The planned Nigerian Poultry Show is expected to provide a platform for discussions on these issues, with stakeholders seeking practical approaches to strengthen the industry’s resilience, increase local production and improve access to affordable poultry products.
