Borno poultry farmers count losses

An outbreak of a strange disease has plunged poultry farmers in Maiduguri, Borno State, into a financial crisis, with many struggling to recover their investments.

The outbreak began in February and triggered widespread poultry deaths despite farmers’ efforts to implement biosecurity measures, including culling.

“I lost 32 chickens,” Sadiq Bukar, owner of Ibn Bukar Farm Centre, said. “Despite culling and attempts to save the rest, the mortality was overwhelming.”

Mr Bukar explained that mortality always occurred from the third day to the 21st day of an outbreak. During the period, he recorded 20 mortalities.

He said after reporting the mortality, his chickens were diagnosed, and Doxyjent 2020 was recommended for their treatment. However, the medication could not save 12 birds affected by the disease.

“Doxyjent 2020 was recommended to me for their treatment, which saved the remaining chickens from the disease. While the 20 chickens died from the third day to the 21st day, the remaining 12 died between the 21st and 38th day,” Mr Bukar added. “After I sold out the chickens, I realised that I did not make any profit with all the costs, including the labour.”

Ten out of 15 smallholder poultry farmers that PREMIUM TIMES spoke with in Maiduguri in separate interviews said they experienced between 30 per cent and 50 per cent mortality of their chickens from February to mid-March.

For some, it may be the end of their businesses because they can no longer meet their financial obligations, especially to business partners. They revealed that they had bought some goods on credit.

Market woes compound financial strain

Adding to their woes, the farmers also faced market challenges. Consumers, disturbed by rising chicken prices due to the outbreak and biosecurity costs, are reluctant to purchase. Even the typically lucrative Sallah period did not alleviate the farmers’ financial burden, leaving them with unsold stock.

“People don’t understand the increased costs,” Modu Gomna, a farmer who was in Bulunkutu Market to sell chickens a day after Sallah, said. “People are pricing the chicken anyhow. They want me to sell a N14,000 chicken at N8,000. People are wicked.

“The mortality rate, coupled with the expenses of protecting the remaining chickens, made profitability impossible,” Musa Ismail, another farmer in Maiduguri, said, lamenting that he was forced to slash prices to sell his chickens.

“I expected to sell at good prices during this Sallah, but the market surprised me. People do not seem to have money for the celebration. I had to slash my price by almost half,” Mr Ismail said. He said he took that decision to recover his investment and not for profit.

The Borno State Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development has not spoken about the disease. However, some farmers suspect the notorious bird flu because the outbreak coincided with the federal government confirming bird flu outbreaks in Kano, Rivers, and Plateau states.

Experts debate disease

Mohammad Jibrin, an animal scientist and owner of Desert Hatchery, one of the biggest hatchery firms in Borno State, said the symptoms did not conclusively confirm the disease was bird flu.

“We have a dedicated ministry whose work includes confirming an outbreak of disease. They are in the best position to say it if it were bird flu.”

Mr Jibrin, who has been in the poultry business for over 20 years, said poor management by poultry farmers could also be why smallholder farmers suffer.

“We are lagging behind in poultry farm management. Our farmers do not take biosecurity very seriously. People go into the business without training or education. They access their poultry farms in the shoes and clothes they wear casually. They compromise on the poultry feed. They do not follow medication schedules,” he said, warning that crises like this are inevitable unless people take the venture seriously.

In his reaction, Umar Maina, a veterinary doctor, said he suspected Newcastle disease based on the symptoms he saw..

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“Our suspicion is Newcastle disease, not bird flu. But they also share some similarities,” Mr Maina said, confirming that the outbreak has affected many farms. He said a farm at the University of Maiduguri lost over 400 birds.

PREMIUM TIMES made several efforts to speak with the State Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries Development, but the officials did not agree to talk to journalists.

However, the Daily Trust newspaper reported that the Nigerian government issued a circular through the Chief Veterinary Officer of Nigeria in response to the bird flu outbreak, urging state veterinary offices to implement enhanced surveillance and biosecurity measures. These included public awareness campaigns and strict monitoring of poultry flocks.

The official said federal authorities were working closely with state governments to contain the outbreak and support affected farmers.