‘Why poultry farmers are not making profit’

By Kehinde Oluwatayo
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High cost of feed has been identified as reason why poultry farmers in Ondo State are not making enough profit.

The General Secretary of Poultry Association of Nigeria and Coordinator for Igba Otun Broilers Scheme, Prince Kayode Aladesuyi said this in an interview with The Hope .

According to him, 80 percent of the cost of production in poultry business goes into feed alone, adding that the business will be worthwhile if farmers are able to reduce what goes into feed.

Aladesuyi who said poultry products are cheaper in states like Oyo, Osun because they don’t depend totally on imported feed noted that there are small feed mills in those states where farmers take their formulations for milling.

He said poultry farmers in Ondo and Ekiti states are the poorest because when you even give them formulations  to mill so that their cost of production can reduce, they will reject it and go for ready made branded feed which is not different from it.

“We need to reorientate ourselves in this state. If you give our farmers formulations free of charge so that they can mill their feed to reduce their cost of production, and make more profit, they will reject it, they want  to see multinational products’  they want to see all in kinds of branded names and it is just branding.

“If a farmer is able to save about seven hundred naira in ten places on a daily basis, that is seven thousand naira. When you multiply that in one month, what you have is enough to pay your workers”.

Aladesuyi of Jotina Nigeria Limited said government can assist the farmers through Advocacy, adding that most people who are in the business of poultry are novice and do not know anything about the business.

Apart from high cost of feed, Aladesuyi said poor marketing strategy affects the business adding that the populace needs to be aware of the importance of their products.

When someone does not know the importance of what you are producing, how will such person buy your products and our product is one of the best in the society”.

He thereby called on the state government to educate the farmers on what they need to know.