Input Availability and Use under Poultry Import Prohibition: A study of Southeast Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract The broad objective of the study is to examine input availability and use under poultry import prohibition in southeast Nigeria from 1994-2009. The specific objectives include: to determine whether there is increased demand for poultry feed, drugs and day old chicks before and since the ban; to determine the effect of input supplied on domestic poultry production. The study adopted trend analysis of before (1994-2001) and since (2002-2009) the ban to examine the variations in poultry input and supply. Three states were sampled out of the five states that made up the zone. Data were collected through the use of a questionnaire. A total of sixty respondents were used, 20 persons each from the three states selected. The results showed that feed demanded has a mean value of 141.75 tons before the ban and 82.19 tons since the ban indicated a decrease in demand for feed. While day-old chicks demanded has a mean value of 310.47 birds before the ban and 466.3 birds since the ban indicated an increase in the demand for day-old chicks. The mean value of Drugs was 266.7 grams before the ban and 299.3 grams since the ban, indicating an increase in demand for drugs. There was also a significant variation in the standard deviation and also in both maximum and minimum values over the time period in feed, day-old chicks and drugs. The major constraint is input availability. The study concluded that there was an increase in demand for day old chicks since the ban.