The current lockdown of major cities in the country to curtail the spread of the coronavirus pandemic is sparking fears of food insecurity as the supply of essential inputs to farms is being obstructed, fish farmers say.
The fish farmers under the auspices of the Catfish and Allied Fish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFFAN) appeal to the Federal Government to grant input suppliers and farmers special movement permit to move inputs and fish products to areas of need within the country.
Rotimi Oloye, national president, CAFFAN in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, said that due to restriction of movement of persons to curtail the spread of the virus in the country, its members now have difficulties accessing their farms across the nation and getting supplies of essential inputs.
Oloye stated that the farmers mostly affected were those close to border towns.
“The inability of fish farmers to have access to their farms would have a multiplier effect across the fish value chain. Without access to our farms, we won’t be able to purchase fish fingerlings,” he said.
“We would also be unable to purchase fish feeds, which will have an impact on our sales and businesses. Those whom we sell fish to will also not be able to purchase this very important source of protein and nutrient,” he further said.
“It could potentially lead to loss of employment while people who have shown interest in investing in the fish farming may lose interest,” he added.
He says that the continuous restriction on the movement of fish farmers would eventually affect players across the value chain.
The national president stated that the situation is already making prices of inputs more expensive, increasing farmers cost of production.
“This is adding to the cost of production that is already on the high side owing to FX volatility used in importing more than 70 percent of our inputs like fish meal, hormones and other additives like lysine and methionine among others,” he said.
“This can force farmers to abandon their farms, thereby, leading to threats of food insecurity. As everyone is well aware, unless properly processed and preserved, fish has a very short shelf-life value,” he added.
Oloye also advised the government to include processed homegrown catfish to the palliatives being shared to poor Nigerians, emphasising that fish and fishery products were nutritional foods because they contained adequate nutrients necessary to boost human body cells and immune system.
Josephine Okojie
