Research Shows Nigerians Consume More Fish Than Poultry

Nigerians require about 3.2 million tonnes of fish annually, but are able to produce only 1.1 million, whilst beef consumption have been projected to be from 360,000 to 1.3 million by 2050.

Meanwhile, poultry consumption is estimated to be about 2 million tone, whereas its production is estimated to be about 300,000 annually.

This statistics has shown that Nigeria requires more fish than poultry.

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This was disclosed by the Director-General, National Biotechnology Development Agency, NABDA, Lucy Ogbadu, during a graduation ceremony of 38 females who received training on fish spawning and breeding in Kano on Wednesday.

Ogbadu, who was represented by the Kano State Coordinator of NABDA, Kabiru Yusuf, said despite the 3.2 million tonnes annual demand of fish in Nigeria, currently a total of 1.1 million demand is being made, thereby leaving a huge gap of 2 million tonnes in required supply.

The Director-general said, “In 2014 alone, Nigeria imported 8,000 metric tons of fish thereby employing foreign producers to feed Nigerians thus depleting our hard-earned resources and foreign exchange. She added that “The gap in the supply of fish in the country is enormous.”

A related research by the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN) shows that, poultry demand is losing about 532 billion tonnes annually to smuggling of poultry products.

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The country requires about 2 million tonnes of poultry, but Nigerian farmers are able to produce 300,000, thereby leaving also a gap of 1.7 million tonnes annually.

The President of PAN, Dr. Ayoola Oduntan, during the 2015 Nigeria poultry summit said, “While the local demand for frozen chicken is above two million metric tonnes annually, Nigerian farmers are only able to produce 300,000 metric tonnes, leaving a wide gap of more than 1.7 million metric tonnes. “Out of this figure, smuggled chicken accounts for 1.2 million metric tonnes annually.”

Similarly, the former Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Akinwumi Adesina, during the 2nd induction ceremony of the Nigerian Institute of Animal Science (NIAS), said an increase has been projected in beef consumption in the country from 360,000 tonnes to 1.3 million tonnes by 2050.

He buttressed the need to get the nation’s livestock system working properly in order to meet the increasing demand for beef.

His words “The total amount of beef we eat is about 360,000 tonnes a year; we expect that to increase to 1.3 million tonnes by 2050.

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“We need to invest in animal genetics, in artificial insemination and modernize our abattoirs in the country.’’

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