WattAgNet: Nigeria fights poultry smuggling amid avian flu cases

Written September 9, 2015 By Jackie Linden
Poultry producers are assuring Nigerians that, despite continuing avian influenza outbreaks, there is no shortage of chicken meat in the country

The authorities in Nigeria are struggling to bring a halt to the smuggling of frozen poultry products, according to Customs Today. The Western Marine Command of the Nigeria Customs Service said it has destroyed more than 1,500 cartons of illegal products in one week’s time. Since Operation Hawk Descend was initiated in early July to combat smuggled poultry products, almost 6,700 cartons of goods have been seized and destroyed.

The president of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN), Architect Kabiru Ibrahim, has urged the federal government to clamp down on poultry meat imports in order to protect local producers.

“I have enough quantity of chicken in my farm waiting for customers to come and buy. Chicken is also available in various farms across the country. So, there is no need for importation or smuggling,” Ibrahim told Daily Trust.

Over the past week, Nigeria’s Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has reported six new outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic avian influenza to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). In total, 6,441 birds from farms and backyard flocks died or were destroyed in the outbreaks, which were all in the southern states of Lagos, Delta and Rivers.