Expert Wants FG To Check Poultry Smuggling

An agricultural engi
neer, Mr. Umor Muzan, has called on the Federal Government to harness local poultry production in the country in order to check incessant smuggling of frozen chickens into the country.
Muzan, who spoke to our correspondent on Monday, in a telephone interview, said for Nigeria to reportedly lose N660 billion annually from frozen chicken smuggled into the country was dangerous for the economy.
According to Muzan, who is of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, the Federal Government should endevour to fight for the reduction of smuggling of frozen chicken into the country.
He said if smuggling was reduced to about 30 per cent, the local poultry industry would be able to provide up to one million jobs for Nigerians while lamenting the continued importation of poultry products into the country. He revealed that as at 2014, locally produced chickens production was estimated at 300,000 metric tons.
He expressed the fear that what was imported into the country was four times greater than what was produced locally which exceeded current industry capacity.
According to Muzan, the economic importance of poultry  production locally should be given priority adding that so far, the industry has not made the desired impact in terms of growth limit.
On the health implications of smuggled poultry products, he said locally produced chicken was better because like their foreign poultry products that are laden with preservatives with hazardous chemicals the local ones are free from preservatives.
He revealed that formalin  present in every smuggled poultry products ranges from 42.9 to 63.3ml/kilogramme which poses danger to consumers.
Further, he called on the authorities to disengage from any international association that would not allow the country the latitude to conduct trade and enhance industrial and development policies for their own good.