The Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, has attributed the reduced patronage of eggs to low purchasing power, greedy retailers, and low consumption.
The PAN Lagos chairman, Mojeed Iyiola, made this known in an interview with journalists on Sunday in Lagos.
Iyiola noted that eggs remain the cheapest source of protein in the country, but blamed retailers and low purchasing power among the reasons for the decline in egg consumption.
“The reduced patronage of eggs in the poultry sector is not peculiar to farmers alone.
“Virtually all consumable goods are experiencing low patronage due to the low purchasing power in the economy.
“Perhaps salaries are insufficient to meet the nutritional demands of families, or other expenses take priority over purchasing eggs.
“Eggs are still the most affordable protein you can buy in Nigeria; they are not as expensive as people think.
“The price from poultry farms is less than N5,500 per crate.
However, individual consumption patterns vary.
“The perception that eggs are expensive is simply fixed in people’s minds,” Iyiola said.
He reiterated that the greed of retailers and middlemen contributes to the low patronage due to their quest for increased profits.
“Retailers who buy eggs at N5,500 at the farm gate price are adding higher profits than normal for selfish gains.
“When retailers purchase a crate at N5,500, the maximum profit they should add is no more than N100 or N200.