Antibiotics hinder local egg powder production – Lagos farmers

Nigerian poultry farmers commonly use antibiotics to treat birds, whereas European producers rely more on probiotics, according to the Chairman of the Poultry Association of Nigeria, Lagos State Chapter, Mojeed Iyiola. In a phone interview with The PUNCH, Iyiola stated that major international food companies, such as Cadbury, prefer imported egg powder because Nigerian farms use antibiotics, which they consider undesirable in egg powder due to its potential negative impact on human consumption.

Iyiola emphasized that to compete effectively with imported egg powder, Nigerian farmers must change their production practices and avoid treating birds with antibiotics, even when they fall ill. The farmers called on the Lagos State Government to support them by fast-tracking the proposed egg powder factory in Igbodo, Epe, as it could provide a solution to the losses farmers face due to weak demand for their eggs.