By Francis Akinnodi

Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), the umbrella body of poultry famers have lamented that insecurity, lack of financial support and bad rural roads are hampering increased egg production and limiting outputs.

While climate change and high cost of inputs are other challenges highlighted to be hindering smooth running of poultry production in Nigeria.

The association at an event to mark this year’s World Egg Day monitored by The Hope on a national television on Saturday called for government intervention and structured loan specifically to address special needs of farmers.

PAN official, Musa Akin, said egg remains important ingredient of nutrition that Nigerians can not afford to neglect.

The day is set apart by the global community to celebrate the power of the egg with this year’s theme, “Eggs for a Better Life’ which celebrates the incredible egg’s power to support human health outcomes.

He said, “Egg production is one of the vital components of agric sub sector that produce a lot of employment for unemployed youths and women alike and also helps to bridge the gap of protein intake in the country.

Also, an official of the association in Ondo state, Pastor Olayele Ogundeji said, “The main challenges we’re having is the insecurity that have also led to close down of so many farms, and poultry farmers in Ondo state also want to use this medium to also appeal to relevant authority to help us fix most of our rural roads, this road network also helps most of our farmer to convey their products conveniently from their farm to the markets.

“Then of course we cannot also talk about the challenges without mentioning finance which affect almost every farmers in terms of expansion and in terms of setting up their farms and in advance of disease outbreak.”

He appealed to the state and federal government to assist the association in terms of loans that would aid their productivity and improve the value chain of the sub sector.