By JKNewsMedia
RISING EGGS prices have reached as much as N8,500 per crate as scarcity intensifies in parts of Nigeria, driven by limited access to day old chicks.
JKNewsMedia.com reports Mojeed Iyiola, chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Lagos, as attributing the increase and shortage to the unavailability of day-old chicks, which he said is affecting supply nationwide.
Speaking in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), he stated that poultry farmers currently have no access to day old chicks, adding that hatcheries are fully booked.
“The major reason for the looming scarcity of eggs is that most old layers have been sold off, and poultry farmers currently have no access to DOCs.
“When farmers go to the hatcheries to book for DOCs, aside from unavailability, prices increase every week,” Iyiola said.
He noted that before the scarcity, a crate of eggs sold for between N5,500 and N6,500, but prices have now risen to between N6,500 and N8,500 in most parts of the country.
He added that the current price places a crate of eggs above a kilo of chicken or beef, which sell for around N6,000 to N7,000 in Abuja markets.
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