Nigerian press zooms in on shutting down of poultry farms over high maize price, others

APA – Lagos (Nigeria)
The report that poultry farms across the country are currently shutting down operations due to the persistent hike in the price of maize, a major feed for birds in the subsector is one of the trending stories in Nigerian newspapers on Tuesday.
The Punch reports that poultry farms across the country are currently shutting down operations due to the persistent hike in the price of maize – a major feed for birds in the subsector, the Poultry Association of Nigeria said on Monday.
Based on this, PAN stated that the poultry subsector in Nigeria was heading for a crash if the government failed to salvage the industry.
In a statement on Monday, the association said, “At the moment, the poultry industry in Nigeria is on the verge of total collapse if urgent intervention is not channelled to it without further delay.
“We are aware that the government has declared a state of emergency on the food security situation of the country, but the situation of the poultry industry calls for an urgent intervention to save the industry from total collapse.”
The statement, which was jointly signed by PAN’s National President, Sunday Ezeobiora, and Director-General, Onallo Akpa, stated that there had been an upward surge in the cost of maize, forcing farmers to shut down their operations.
It said, “The high surge in the price of maize and the near absence or scarcity of the product is causing farmers to close down their poultry farms at the moment because it is no longer sustainable to feed the birds and be in business.
“This is threatening the further development of the Nigerian poultry industry.”
The newspaper says that Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose for the sixth consecutive time to 22.79 per cent in June 2023, the data released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed.
Nigeria’s headline inflation rate rose for the sixth consecutive time to 22.79 per cent in June 2023, the data released on Monday by the National Bureau of Statistics revealed.
The inflation rate in Africa’s biggest economy rose to a new 17-year high of 22.79 per cent in June 2023 from 22.41 per cent in the previous month.
The NBS report read, “In June 2023, the headline inflation rate rose to 22.79 per cent relative to May 2023 headline inflation rate, which was 22.41 per cent.
Looking at the movement, the June 2023 headline inflation rate showed an increase of 0.38 percentage points when compared to May 2023 headline inflation rate.
“On a year-on-year basis, the headline inflation rate was 4.19 percentage points higher compared to the rate recorded in June 2022, which was 18.60 per cent.
“This shows that the headline inflation rate (year-on-year basis) increased in June 2023 when compared to the same month in the preceding year (i.e., June 2022).”
It noted that food and non-alcoholic beverages (11.81 per cent) led the list of items that contributed to the rising inflation figure.
Economists had, however, said inflation needed to be tackled holistically.
A former President and Chairman of Council, Institute of Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria, Prof Segun Ajibola, said Nigeria’s surging inflation needed to be curbed holistically.
Ajibola, who is also a professor of economics at Babcock University, said, “The fundamental problems are still with us. We have to face the issues squarely to address the problem of inflation.
“It requires a holistic approach. So many things have to be harmonised and so many things have to be tackled. Especially things that push costs of production and those that affect agriculture.”
The Guardian reports that the Office of the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria, yesterday, confirmed the first anthrax disease case in Suleja, Niger State.
The disease was noticed among animals, including cattle, sheep and goats at a farm in Gajiri.
The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO), Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD), Dr. Columba Vakuru, stated that investigation by a rapid response team deployed to the farm and subsequent laboratory tests by the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) confirmed the diagnosis, making it the first recorded case of anthrax in Nigeria.
Vakuru recalled that Federal Government had raised the alarm following outbreak of the disease in northern Ghana, few weeks ago.
Anthrax is said to be caused by the spore-forming bacterium, Bacillus anthracis, which primarily affects animals, but can also infect humans, who come into direct contact with infected animals or contaminated animal products, such as meat, wool or hides. Symptoms include oozing of blood from anus, nose, eyes and ears.
He added that anthrax might occur through the inhalation of spores, while cutaneous anthrax could result from contact with contaminated materials or through open wounds.
To curb the outbreak in Nigeria, FMARD, in collaboration with Niger government, has taken proactive measures, including quarantine of the affected farm, deployment of anthrax spore vaccines to the affected and adjoining farms to vaccinate in-contact animals and educating workers of the affected farms on symptoms, preventive measures.
The CVO disclosed that plans were also underway to conduct nationwide vaccination of cattle, sheep and goats against anthrax, adding that surveillance of anthrax would be heightened in livestock farms, markets and abattoirs, as well as intensification of public awareness campaigns on anthrax.
The ministry, however, urged livestock owners to remain vigilant, report any suspicious illness or death in their animals promptly, avoid contact with sick or dead animals and their products, and exercise caution when buying animals from states bordering Republic of Benin, Chad and Niger Republic.
It also urged people not to slaughter animals at home, but use of abattoirs or slaughter slabs.
The newspaper says that the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Super Tucano fighter jets have destroyed the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) hide-outs, killing 11 terrorists in the Lake Chad Tumbus axis of Borno State.
The terrorists were neutralised on July 15, 2023, after credible intelligence indicating their presence in Kollaram and Arinna/Chiki camps.
A counter-insurgency expert and security analyst in the Lake Chad region, Mr. Zagazola Makama, disclosed, yesterday, in Maiduguri that the fighter jets bombarded the camps and killed about 11 terrorists, including a commander, in the region.
According to him, another group of terrorists was killed while fleeing in canoes in the Kirta-Wulgo axis of the state.
A military source in Maiduguri confirmed the terrorists were neutralised by airstrikes, while trying to cross the lake to rejoin their colleagues at Tumbun Rego.
The source noted that the terrorists were to regroup to launch attack on a military post in the region.
GIK/APA