Poultry farmers in Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states have called on governments in the South-East to regulate the prices of day-old chicks and poultry feed.
Speaking to reporters across the three states, the farmers said intervention would help them remain viable and prevent rising production costs from driving them out of business.
A poultry farmer from Nwambara community in Ebonyi Local Government Area, Mrs Blessing Chima, said a day-old chick currently costs ₦2,400, while a bag of poultry feed sells for ₦23,000.
She added that a bag of chicken feed could cost as much as ₦18,000, describing the prices as alarming and discouraging.
“I call on the Federal Government to regulate the prices of day-old chicks and feed to save poultry farmers from the hardship caused by rising production costs,” she said.
A poultry-feed vendor at Sam Egwu Plaza in Abakaliki, Mr Princewill Nweke, confirmed the high cost of day-old chicks and poultry feed.
Nweke attributed the increases partly to rising petrol prices, which have pushed up transportation costs.
“Most raw materials used in poultry-feed production are imported, while some have become scarce, contributing to higher production costs.
“Adverse weather conditions, particularly excessive heat, are another challenge affecting poultry farming. Hot weather can adversely affect chickens and lead to high mortality rates,” he said.
He advised farmers to match the size of their flocks to the feed available to ensure proper feeding and healthy growth.
Responding to the concerns, Ebonyi Commissioner for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Mrs Nkechinyere Iyoku, said the state government was committed to addressing the economic and related difficulties facing residents, especially farmers.
Iyoku said the administration of Gov. Francis Nwifuru was developing a modern feed mill with a production capacity of 10,000 tonnes per hour.
“This is equivalent to approximately 400,000 bags of poultry feed per production cycle, subject to bag size and operating capacity,” she said.
The commissioner said the project was 70 per cent complete, with technical experts installing the equipment. She said production was expected to begin in February 2027.
“When inaugurated, the facility is expected to improve local access to quality livestock feed, moderate production costs and reduce dependence on supplies from distant markets.
“This development will strengthen the competitiveness of poultry and other livestock farmers, ensure stable and affordable prices, and attract buyers from neighbouring states,” she said.
Iyoku also disclosed that the state government had engaged a European company to reconstruct the Nkaliki hatchery and begin producing day-old chicks.
The initiative is expected to reduce the cost of acquiring chicks and ease the financial burden of procuring them from distant locations, she said.
In Enugu, rising costs of poultry feed and day-old chicks are squeezing farmers’ profits, forcing some to scale down production or leave the industry.
Mr Cornell Chiedozie, a small-scale farmer with three years’ experience, said a bag of feed that used to cost between ₦10,000 and ₦12,000 now sells for ₦24,000.
“One can imagine the price difference. My farm, which has 70 birds, consumes between three and four bags of feed weekly.
“I bought day-old chicks for ₦2,450 each in September, but vaccines, drugs, transportation and other expenses further increased costs.
“How much will you sell your birds for to make a profit, especially when you have losses such as mortality?” he asked.
He said farmers did not set market prices and could struggle to recover their investments when sale prices failed to cover production costs.
“Unreliable electricity supply also increases expenses, particularly during hot weather when farmers need to keep their birds cool.
“I switched to charcoal to provide heat for the chicks because of electricity challenges and the cost of maintaining a suitable temperature,” he said.
Chiedozie appealed for price regulation, affordable loans and government subsidies on grains, seeds and agricultural machinery to reduce feed costs.
Mr Lambrusco Amadi, who operates a farm with 1,000 birds, said rising feed costs were forcing some farmers to reduce the number of birds they rear in each production cycle.
He said he knew poultry farmers who had recently left the business because of financial pressures.
“I have tried producing supplementary feed from materials such as crayfish remnants, soybeans and akamu (pap). However, this has proved difficult because it requires a lot of time and attention,” he said.
Amadi advised farmers to prepare for changing market conditions and rising production costs to avoid losses.
In Nsukka, a lecturer in the Department of Animal Science at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), Prof. Anselm Onyimonyi, urged the Federal Government to subsidise ingredients used to produce poultry feed.
Onyimonyi said the high cost of poultry-feed production contributed to the high prices of both feed and day-old chicks.
“When these ingredients are subsidised, it will reduce the prices of feed as well as day-old chicks.
“The low intake of animal protein in the country due to economic hardship makes people aggressive over the slightest issue.
“The importance attached to adequate animal-protein intake has led countries such as Israel and India to recommend a litre of milk for every citizen daily,” he said.
Mr Kelvin Nnadi, a manager at a poultry-feed shop in Nsukka, also acknowledged the rising prices of day-old chicks and poultry feed. He said the increases came from producers, while dealers sold at their purchase prices.
In Anambra, poultry farmers and traders decried the high cost of feed and called on the government to provide support and incentives.
The farmers and dealers said assistance was necessary to help farmers remain in business.
A poultry farmer, Mr Steve Okafor, said a shortage of funds had left many farmers struggling to manage their farms.
Okafor said he had been poultry farming since 2009, starting with 100 birds before increasing his flock to 500 within a year.
“Running costs were manageable then because we bought feed more cheaply than we do today.
“High Breed finisher is about ₦20,000, New Hope starter feed sells for ₦20,200, while Juku Layer Pellet feed is about ₦19,500.
“Presently, I have to cut down production because it has not been easy to feed the birds,” he said.
A poultry farmer in Uga, Mr Gozie Uchendu, said the few financial institutions available to farmers charged high interest rates on loans.
He said many farmers were reluctant to take out loans because of the high interest rates and other stringent conditions.
“Financial organisations are private businesses that seek high returns before issuing loans.
“We have unions through which we approach various cooperative banks for assistance, but the stringent conditions have thwarted our efforts,” he said.
A poultry-feed dealer in Onitsha, Mr Kanayo Obinze, said the high cost of feed could be attributed to several factors beyond dealers’ control.
He said artificial scarcity caused by high demand was a major factor affecting prices.
“Transportation costs are another major factor that has pushed up poultry-feed prices.
“The feed is not produced here. We pay heavily to transport it from the northern and western parts of the country to the South-East, which is capital-intensive.
“Poor roads are another problem. A trailer carrying poultry feed recently overturned, spilling its load on a bad stretch of the Asaba–Onitsha Federal Road,” he said.
Another dealer, Mrs Nonso Mba, attributed the high cost of poultry feed to strong demand from farmers, who rely on it as a source of nutrition for their birds.
“Poultry mash is nutritious and healthy for birds, which is why young chicks grow quickly and reach maturity within two months,” she said.
