Livestock farmers across Niger, Kogi, and Nasarawa states have warned that soaring feed prices, expensive day-old chicks, and weak market returns are threatening livestock production and farm sustainability.
Speaking during a survey on Tuesday, operators reported that feed now accounts for 70 to 80 percent of production costs. In Kogi State, farmers noted that feed prices have increased by N2,000 to N3,000 per bag almost monthly, with starter and finisher feeds reaching N22,500 and N22,000 respectively, while day-old chicks cost up to N2,200 each.
In Niger State, feed dealers reported price increases of up to 40 percent over the past year, largely driven by high transportation costs for feed brought from Kaduna and Ilorin. Similarly, Nasarawa farmers lamented that high maize and soya bean prices are eroding profit margins, forcing several operators to scale down operations or close farms entirely.
In response, state governments outlined mitigation measures. The Kogi State Government, through the World Bank-supported Livestock Productivity and Resilience Support (L-PRES) Project, supported 500 women and youths across 21 local government areas with input kits, day-old chicks, feed, and N100,000 cash grants. Meanwhile, the Niger State Ministry for Livestock announced plans to revive and upgrade the Tagwai feed mill to enable local feed production and lower input costs for farmers.
