Poultry farmers in Lagos State have appealed to the state government to fast-track the establishment of an egg powder factory to reduce losses caused by unsold eggs.
The appeal was made during the annual summit of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos State Chapter, held in Alausa, where farmers were also trained on the use of modern technology to improve productivity and profitability.
Speaking at the event, Chairman of PAN Lagos, Mojeed Iyiola, said poor sales remained one of the biggest challenges facing poultry farmers, with many farms forced to dispose of hundreds of eggs daily.
“We have farms that break hundreds of eggs daily, translating to millions of naira in losses. The Lagos State Government is assisting us in building an egg powder factory. Even if we cannot export immediately, we can at least process the eggs for local consumption,” Iyiola said.
He urged the government to complete and operationalise the facility, noting that it would help preserve excess egg production, reduce waste and create additional value for farmers.
Iyiola commended the Lagos State Government for its support to poultry farmers, particularly its efforts towards establishing a processing facility for the sector.
The summit, themed “Flocking to Growth: Transforming Nigeria’s Poultry Industry with Innovation and Investment,” was organised to expose farmers to global best practices and technological solutions aimed at improving efficiency.
Iyiola said the association was focused on helping farmers move away from outdated methods of production and embrace innovations that could increase output while reducing dependence on manual labour.
“This summit, which also serves as our annual conference, is aimed at sensitising our members on better and technological ways of running poultry businesses,” he said.
He added that PAN Lagos had introduced training programmes involving experts from academic institutions to provide farmers with both theoretical knowledge and practical skills needed to compete in the global poultry market.
Speaking at the event, a professor of agricultural biochemistry, animal nutrition, poultry science, food and food safety at the University of Ibadan, Olugbenga Ogunwole, advised farmers to adopt improved feeding practices to maximise the potential of modern poultry breeds.
He warned that many farmers still rely on outdated information and production methods that do not align with current poultry technology.
“Our people still rely on old poultry literature and outdated practices. Present-day technology must match the present stock that we have,” Ogunwole said.
He urged farmers to provide birds with quality feed that meets international standards, noting that proper nutrition is essential for achieving better productivity.
Also speaking, the Director of Extension Services at the Lagos State Ministry of Agriculture and Food Systems, Olushola Egbota, encouraged poultry farmers to take advantage of government extension services to improve their operations.
She advised farmers to regularly engage with the Lagos State Extension Services office at Oko-Oba, Agege, for guidance on improving farm productivity.
Egbota said the ministry remained committed to supporting farmers with the information and resources needed to maximise their potential.
