A handful of poultry farmers and other animal breeders in Kebbi, Sokoto and Zamfara states have abandoned their businesses because of the high cost of feed, Ashenews reports.
A survey by an Ashenews reporter in the three states found that feed prices have risen as security challenges have prevented many rural residents from cultivating their farms.
The situation has affected rural communities across the states. Many residents have relocated to urban areas, while some farms in and around the cities have also shut down.
A veterinarian in Kebbi, Dr Abubakar Umar-Bunza, said the high cost of feed “is forcing poultry farmers in Kebbi out of business, with some small farms already shut.”
Umar-Bunza, who is in charge of the Zonal Veterinary Clinic in Birnin Kebbi, told Ashenews that the removal of the fuel subsidy had also fuelled inflation, raising the cost of producing crops used in animal feed. He said maize accounts for about 55 per cent of poultry feed.
“At the peak, a 100kg bag of maize reached almost N70,000. Soya beans, the next major ingredient, also went for over N90,000 per 100kg.
“If the major ingredients are expensive, the price of feed must also be high,” he said.
He cited transport costs, fertiliser prices, the exchange rate—because some ingredients have to be imported—and other factors as contributors to higher prices.
He added that competition between humans and animals for grain, as well as insecurity that keeps farmers away from their farms, had further tightened supply.
Umar-Bunza said transporting 1,200 bags of feed from Kano used to cost about N300,000 but now costs between N1.2 million and N1.5 million.
He said there was no regulatory body to control prices, adding that feed prices had changed little between 2025 and 2026.
“I am a consultant to over five poultry farms. Some of them have shut down because they could not sustain the business.
“You cannot keep the animal without feeding it, and the number of eggs and chickens produced is directly proportional to the amount of feed they consume,” he said.
Umar-Bunza said a farm using 200 bags of feed at about N16,000 per bag faced significant costs, as layer birds must be fed daily from eight weeks old until they begin laying, at 16 to 20 weeks.
A day-old broiler chick, he said, costs N2,000.
He said 50 broilers could consume six to seven bags of feed. After paying for vaccines and labour, a farmer selling each bird for N8,000 to N9,000 would struggle to recover the costs, let alone make a profit.
Umar-Bunza warned that poor-quality feed weakens birds’ immunity and makes them more vulnerable to disease. He also said some farmers mix feed with cheaper ingredients, reducing egg production.
The Commissioner for Animal Health, Husbandry and Fisheries, Kabiru Alaramma, said the state government was close to completing its veterinary hospital at Bulasa as part of efforts to boost livestock production and related businesses.
“The project began 13 years ago and was abandoned, but now it has been revived under Gov. Nasir Idris. It is the largest in the country,” he said.
The state’s Director of Veterinary Services, Dr Alheri Ibrahim-Senchi, said the hospital would include clinics for small and large animals, poultry and other birds, surgical theatres and a laboratory.
He said it would serve as a referral and training centre, offering residency programmes in partnership with academic institutions.
Ibrahim-Senchi said the state’s livestock capacity had attracted interest from foreign partners, including Brazil. He added that countries importing Nigerian beef require certification that the meat meets international standards.
“They are aware that we have the capacity to ensure that our animals are fit for human consumption,” he said.
He added that a standard laboratory was essential for artificial insemination, “which is why one is being built in the facility.
“After collecting semen samples, they should be processed and properly stored so they can be used to ensure the success of artificial insemination.”
Poultry farmers interviewed also expressed concern about rising feed costs, saying the increases had driven up production expenses and reduced profit margins.
Madina Ya’u, who runs a poultry farm in Gesse Phase II, Birnin Kebbi, said the situation had become increasingly difficult, forcing her to reduce her flock.
She said the cost of feeding the birds, buying vaccines and paying workers had continued to rise, while the prices of eggs and other poultry products had not increased at the same rate.
Another farmer, Armiya’u Bulasa, said high production costs had discouraged many small-scale operators, forcing some to leave the business.
In Zamfara, the President of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Zamfara Chapter, Zayyanu Ahmad, said poultry farmers were struggling to find customers, blaming the situation on the continuing economic hardship.
Ahmad said that although the poultry industry contributes to Nigeria’s gross domestic product, it was facing a setback because of rising feed prices. He called on the government to intervene.
In Zamfara, a bag of feed that sold for N9,000 last year now sells for between N20,000 and N23,000, while the prices of maize and soybeans, its main ingredients, have tripled, according to the report.
A market survey found that starter feed sells for about N22,500, finisher feed for N22,000 and layer feed for about N16,000. In Minna, broiler feed has risen to about N24,000 and layer feed to about N15,000.
Farmer Ibrahim Usman told Ashenews that maize was selling for N910,000 per tonne, while soybeans cost N714,000 per metric tonne.
He attributed the high prices to reduced production caused by insecurity and climate change.
He added that insecurity in Zamfara’s farming areas, high transport and diesel costs, and poor roads had compounded the problem, making it more expensive to transport feed, chicks and veterinary products from major milling centres to Gusau and other markets.
“Feed accounts for about 75 per cent of poultry production costs, making the availability of affordable grains critical to the survival of poultry businesses.
“Zamfara farmers buy feed at a high price but are forced to sell eggs and broilers below profitable levels because consumers’ purchasing power has dropped.
“A crate of eggs now sells for about N6,200 in some markets amid declining consumer purchasing power, while broilers fetch between N8,000 and N12,000 depending on size, despite huge spending on feeds and vaccines,” he said.
According to Usman, farmers in Gusau, Kaura Namoda, Talata Mafara, Anka and other areas face similar challenges. Feed, which accounts for about 70 to 75 per cent of poultry production costs, has become their biggest burden.
He called for government support, including subsidies for poultry feed ingredients, assistance for local maize and soybean production, and the establishment of affordable feed-milling facilities.
The Sokoto State Commissioner for Animal Health and Fishery Development, Bello Wamakko, said increased funding for subsidised animal feed had been included in the 2027 budget, as animal breeders make up a significant proportion of the state’s farming population.
He said the aim was to ensure livestock keepers received government support, like crop farmers, during both the wet and dry seasons.
Safiyanu Musa, a small-animal keeper in Sokoto, said he had sold about 15 goats because he could no longer afford to feed them.
Musa said cheaper feed was usually available during the harvest season, mainly in October and November. However, security challenges had prevented rural residents from bringing feed to market.
Another animal keeper, Abdullahi Danyawuri, from Sokoto’s Diploma area, described animal rearing as difficult because of exorbitant feed prices.
He said many of his colleagues had abandoned the business or reduced the number of animals they kept, as sales earnings often failed to cover rearing costs.
Nasir Mojo, a cattle keeper in Sokoto’s Rijiyar Dorowa area, said he had switched from cattle to goats because of high feed costs and unfavourable market conditions.
He said rising costs had forced many business owners, including housewives who kept small animals, to abandon animal rearing.
“We find it difficult to access loans with affordable interest rates. If farmers can access loans, they can plan better and purchase raw materials in bulk to produce their own feed.
“Subsidising feed production inputs and establishing government-supported feed production plants will go a long way in cushioning the effects of rising inflation on farmers,” Mojo said.
He said animal rearing was a source of income for many people, but challenges had pushed them into other businesses. He added that the sector was no longer profitable.
Business owners warned that without urgent intervention, more poultry farms and animal-rearing businesses could collapse, leading to job losses and shortages of eggs and chicken.
They said rising protein prices were already putting further pressure on households struggling with food inflation. The higher cost of feed had also caused significant financial losses across the sector.
The farmers urged the government to support poultry businesses with subsidised feed, better access to agricultural inputs, low-interest loans and other measures to reduce production costs.
