By Olanike Tajudeen
The Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Oyo State Chapter, has called on the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde to save the association and poultry farmers from impending peril.
The association in a statement issued by the Oyo PAN Chairman Elder Oyekunle Omidokun and made available to newsmen tagged: “Save Our Soul (SOS)”, following the directive issued by the State Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development that stipulates a mandatory payment of Five Naira (N5:00k) per chicken slaughtered and processed in privately owned chicken processing plants across Oyo State.
“We appreciate the effort of His Excellency, Governor Seyi Makinde in ensuring that farmlands in Oyo State are secured and his continuous effort in ensuring food security in the state and Nigeria as a whole, while aligning with the mandate of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu, who has designed policies that will create and sustain food security by creation of agricultural hubs to increase food production and engage in value-added processing and other best modern practices that will minimize perennial conflicts, with the overall goal of ensuring that food is abundant and less costly. We also appreciate the free distribution of maize and ongoing soft loan to poultry farmers by the Executive Governor.”
“We poultry farmers are still faced with enormous challenges of scarcity and unavailability of raw materials. Where cost of doing business has tripled in the last one year and forcing many of our poultry farmers to abandon the business and the country for greener pastures, we find it very discouraging to hear that this burden of tax is about to be introduced by the Oyo State Government.”
The association further explained the quantum effect of this impending policy. “This implies that poultry farmers in Oyo State are at a disadvantaged position in the poultry market space where other chicken processors operating in other states are not burdened with such tax.
“We only want to rear, slaughter and process our birds without added pressure.We are in the food processing space and should not be treated differently from other food producers and processors by charging fees of N5:00k for every unit of raw materials used.Live birds are our raw materials used in chicken processing plants.”
“The poultry market space is currently heavily challenged with unavailability of raw materials which has made feed materials scarce and very expensive. In turn, there is scarcity of poultry meat and egg in the market due to the continuous shrink in size of the poultry industry and its players in the country.”
The association also reminded the Executive Governor that their business is met with high volatility, high risk of mortality with the outcome of highly perishable products.
It is noteworthy that NAFDAC and SON have regularly regulated and carried out inspection of the activities of the poultry processing farmers in line with their enabling statuses covering the area of food regulation and standard formulation with compliance respectively, for which fees for certification and quarterly inspections are being demanded and paid to the aforementioned agencies.
In furtherance, all PAN members, just like every other business entity, are subjected to other taxes, charges and levies which are remitted to Local Governments where they are based, the Oyo State Government and the Federal Government of Nigeria. Some of such taxes are multiple and are currently causing a huge burden to many of the members and threatening the continued existence of poultry business in Oyo State and Nigeria at large.
“We hereby implore Gov. Makinde to intervene by ordering outright reversal of the impending levy which can cause huge calamity to the poultry industry”, the statement reads in part.
