The National Sheep and Goat Development Association of Nigeria (NASGODAN) has urged the federal government to establish a national livestock feed price monitoring system to address frequent price increases and supply shortages.

Abdullateef Ahmed, the association’s national president, made the call on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Ahmed attributed the fluctuating and rising prices of livestock feeds, including those for sheep, goats and poultry, to inadequate regulation of feed producers and pricing.

He said feed was a major determinant of livestock productivity, profitability and business sustainability, noting that adequate nutrition was essential for healthy growth, reproduction and quality meat production.

He warned that persistent price increases could undermine sustainable livestock production and the government’s drive towards food and nutrition security.

Mr Ahmed recommended that the government monitor the prices of key feed ingredients, including maize and other cereal grains, soybeans, wheat offal, maize bran and rice bran.

Others, he said, were palm kernel cake, hay, silage, commercial sheep and goat concentrates, and mineral supplements.

He said the state and market should collect and publish prices, with the unit of measurement, product quality, and reporting date clearly indicated.

According to him, the system would help farmers make informed purchasing decisions and enable the government to identify unusual price increases and supply shortages.

The NASGODAN president also called for stronger feed quality assurance measures to protect farmers from substandard products.

He said cheap but unsafe feed could result in greater financial losses than more expensive, reliable alternatives.

Mr Ahmed urged the government to strengthen inspection, testing and enforcement mechanisms to ensure that commercial feeds and ingredients meet relevant safety and quality standards.

He said the measures would protect farmers from adulterated, contaminated and falsely labelled products.

Mr Ahmed also called for incentives to support local manufacturers producing safe, high-quality livestock feeds from locally available raw materials.

“Possible interventions for local feed manufacturers should include affordable financing, support for small and medium-sized processing businesses, improved access to feed-processing equipment, technical assistance, quality testing services and support for distribution to rural communities.

“These measures should encourage competition, improve availability and reduce avoidable production and distribution costs,” he said.

Mr Ahmed identified public-private partnerships as critical to addressing persistent feed price increases.

He urged the government to promote collaboration among feed manufacturers, agricultural commodity traders, farmer cooperatives, livestock associations, research institutions, development partners, and state and local governments.

“These partnerships should focus on practical solutions, measurable results and affordable feed supplies,” he said.

(NAN)