Poultry farmers in parts of Kaduna State have slashed prices of chicken and eggs for fear of running into loss following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has grounded businesses across the globe.
A survey conducted on Friday by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kaduna revealed that a full-grown chicken which was sold between N2,500 and N3,000 is now sold for as low as N1,500, while a crate of egg now attracts N700 as against N1,000.
A cross section of the farmers, who spoke with NAN, disclosed that the development was necessitated to avoid further loss on their investment as they kept spending on feeds.
Mrs Veronica Ishaku, who owns a poultry farm at her residence in Sabo, said she was demoralised as she did not record much sales during the Easter period, adding that the birds are still remaining in their numbers.
“I bought about 300 broilers ahead of Easter and barely sold 100 for N2,500 then.
“Now, there are still close to 200 chicken and I’ve been spending money on their feed. As such, I had to slash the price to a giveaway cost of N1,500 so as not to incurr further expenses,” she said.
Also, Mrs Irene Gabriel, a poultry famer at Karji settlement, told NAN that she had to resort to showcasing her chickens for sale on the social media to attract buyers.
“In fact, even at the giveaway price of N1,500, patronage has been very poor.
“The economy is really biting hard on Nigerians so that to eat chicken now in some homes is a luxury,” she admitted.
Mr Raphael Nwabueze, a resident of Narayi and a major eggs seller in the neighbourhood, told NAN that if the lockdown persists, egg sellers may be forced to further slash prices otherwise run at loss.
“At the moment, a crate of eggs is sold at N700 as against N1,000, but in no distant time, it may drop to as low as N500.
“The birds keep dropping and eggs can’t be kept for a long time due to the hot weather. So, to avoid running at a loss, it is better to sell off at a giveaway price unfortunately,” Nwabueze said. (NAN)