The President, Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN), Chief Tayo Akingbolagun, has urged fish farmers to shun Coppens feeds produces from The Netherlands, over its arbitrary hike in prices, that the 50 per cent increment in the price of Coppens 2mm feeds, was a reflection of the company’s unfriendly posture in the market. Akingbolagun , speaking within the week, in Lagos, further explained that the 2mm Coppens feeds being sold for N5, 000 suddenly increased to N7, 500 during the Yuletide, was a development which did put many farmers in a difficult situation.
Comparing Coppens feeds price to others in the market, he siad the prices of other feeds in the market have remained stable, in spite of the fluctuations in the foreign exchange market, but Coppens has not been friendly in the market.
The 2mm feeds is one of the feeds used by farmers in the hatchery business, to boost the growth of fingerlings, but Coppens have been most insensitive to the plight of farmers in the country.
Akingbolagun , thus called on all fish farmers in the country to jointly boycott their product and make do with other feeds like Aqua, Durante, Vital, to mention but a few.
The CAFAN president who believed that the country was capable of producing its feeds, floating and sinking, locally,called on the government to leverage it in its economic diversification policies.
He added that Nigeria has all it takes to produce feeds. The nation must look inwards and create the enabling environment for feed production to thrive.
He however, urged the Federal Government to support international feed millers, who are prepared to invest in feed production in the country.
Akingbolagun beckon on the international feed millers who are ready to come to Nigeria to come invest in feed production. He called on the government to give them the needed support in this regard.
The association’s chief advised government to come out with a road map for investors in the sector, as practised in other parts of the world.