Expert Faults Non-Inclusion Of Poultry In GES

A poultry feed expert, Mr.
Olugbenga Ogunsetan has said that the non-inclusion of the poultry sub-sector in the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme was a drawback to the development of the poultry industry.
The GES, under the Agricultural Transformation Agenda of the last administration in the country was initiated to curtail corruption in the distribution of fertilizer.
Ogunsetan, who spoke to newsmen in Lagos recently explained that it takes a serious minded government to know that one of the highest contributors to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the agriculture sector in poultry. According to him, every household consumes one poultry product or the other daily if not weekly. He, therefore, called for consistency in the federal government’s policy against the importation of poultry products to revive the industry in Nigeria.
Ogunsetan explained that the borders were not the only area that needed to be concentrated upon to curb smuggling.
“Except we have a consistent government intervention, it is going to be a very tough year, except government intervenes in good time to save the industry” he said.
According to the expert concentrating on the borders alone would not solve the problem because there were many markets where these products are being sold open.
He said it outlets were blocked there would be no place for persons to go and buy.
Apart from killing the local farmers, he added that it was also killing the consumers of such products as their wholesomeness  could not be ascertained.
“Government said that it has banned the importation of poultry products, but if the enforcement is not strict enough the influx of smuggled imported products will continue to increase,” he said.