The Nigerian livestock sector, particularly poultry farming, is facing mounting challenges due to the soaring cost of animal feed. As a key component of the country’s agricultural economy, poultry production plays a critical role in food security, job creation, and rural development. However, the rising costs of feed ingredients—such as maize, soybean, and fishmeal—are putting immense pressure on farmers and limiting the sector’s profitability.
Feed costs have surged due to multiple factors, including inflation, supply chain disruptions, and competition between human food demand and livestock production. This price volatility has led to reduced feed quality, lower poultry yields, and, ultimately, a decline in profitability for smallholder and commercial poultry farmers.
For Nigeria’s livestock industry to remain competitive and sustainable, urgent interventions are needed to address feed affordability and availability. Source- Tribune
Expert Review for Agri-Food Stakeholders
To mitigate the persistent feed cost crisis, key stakeholders—including farmers, policymakers, agribusiness investors, and research institutions—must implement strategic solutions aimed at ensuring feed affordability and sustainability. These include:
1. Promoting Local Feed Alternatives
Nigeria must diversify its poultry feed ingredients by investing in locally available alternatives to maize and soybean. Some viable options include:
Cassava peels and chips – Processed cassava residues can serve as a carbohydrate source in poultry feed, reducing dependence on maize.
Insect-based protein (e.g., black soldier fly larvae) – Insect meal provides a high-quality protein substitute for fishmeal and soybean meal.
Agro-industrial byproducts – Residues from breweries (spent grains), oil processing (palm kernel cake), and rice milling (rice bran) can serve as supplementary feed ingredients.
2.Encouraging Private Investment in Feed Mills
Scaling up feed production through increased private-sector investments in localized feed mills can enhance processing capacity and reduce costs. Government incentives, such as tax breaks and low-interest loans, should be introduced to attract investors to establish feed mills closer to major poultry-producing regions.
3. Strengthening Government Policy Support
Policy interventions should focus on:
Increasing maize and soybean production – Expanding cultivation through farmer incentives, improved seed distribution, and mechanization support.
Providing feed subsidies – Temporary subsidies for poultry feed can help stabilize prices and sustain production.
Revisiting import policies – Allowing controlled maize and soybean imports when domestic production falls short can prevent supply shocks and price hikes.
4. Enhancing Value Chain Collaboration
Stronger partnerships between feed producers, poultry farmers, agritech startups, and research institutions can drive innovation in cost-effective feed formulations. Research bodies like the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and National Animal Production Research Institute (NAPRI) should play a bigger role in developing climate-resilient maize and soybean varieties suited for Nigeria’s environment.
5. Establishing Feed Cooperatives for Farmers
Organized poultry farmers can form cooperatives to pool resources for bulk feed purchases, securing better pricing and reducing individual costs. Cooperative models have proven successful in other agricultural sectors and can help smallholder poultry farmers remain competitive.
Addressing the feed cost crisis is essential to sustaining Nigeria’s poultry industry, ensuring affordable poultry products for consumers, and safeguarding the sector’s contribution to national food security. Urgent and coordinated action among stakeholders will be key to mitigating rising costs and fostering a resilient livestock production system.
