Some residents of Lagos State are switching to other alternative sources of protein for their children and wards due to the continuous hike in the price of egg.
They disclosed this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Lagos.
They noted that eggs had become too expensive and out of reach for the poor.
They lamented that the frequent hike in the price of egg was threatening nutrition, health and wellbeing of underage children in the country.
Mrs Chinyere Obasi, a businesswoman, said she could no longer afford to feed her children one egg a day as was the tradition in her home.
Obasi noted that a medium-sized crate of egg cost between N3,500 and 3,800, while the large-sized cost between N4,000 and N4,200.
Obasi, a mother of four, said in the last one month, the price of the commodity had changed more than five times.
She said with the current economic situation in the country, spending that amount of money weekly cannot be sustained considering other obligations seeking for attention.
“I am looking for an alternative to protein for my children because I cannot afford to buy one crate of egg N3,500 weekly.
“Our government needs to find a solution to the problems in the poultry sector because we cannot afford protein anymore.
“I am considering switching to cheese for my children as a source of protein pending when the process will normalise.
“Egg is now a rich man’s food, it is no longer affordable for the poor,” she said.
Another resident, Mrs Yetunde Ishola, an hairdresser, urged state and federal governments to find a lasting solution to the continuous hike in the poultry produce.
Ishola said she had stopped buying eggs for now due to the increase in the price of the commodity and feeding the children cheese.
“We have never had it this bad in this country that a crate of egg would cost more than N2,500. Now, it is heading towards N5,000.
“There is a need for an urgent intervention from the governments to support poultry farmers to ease the burden.
“For now, I will not buy egg again, until my business improves. Many family does not have adequate resources to feed on.
“The situation why I give my children eggs daily is because of the health benefits but now, I cannot afford it anymore,” she decried.
Another resident, Mrs Promise Nwachukwu, a 40-year-old food seller, said she had removed egg from her family’s grocery list because it had become too costly.
Nwachukwu said she was considering other protein alternatives like sausage, fish and cheese to replace egg especially for her young children who cannot do without consuming eggs daily.
“In the last four weeks, I have bought egg at different prices and honestly, it is becoming too expensive.
“Each time I complain about the new price, all the egg seller would say is that the increase is from the farms. ‘Madam, it is not my fault, it is what I buy from the farm that I will sell.’
“The government must come to our aid by making eggs and other dairy products affordable,” she said.
A poultry farmer, Mr Jude Koyenha, urged the government to intervene and save the sector from a total collapse.
Koyenha said the high cost of poultry feeds was responsible for the frequent hike in the price of eggs.
He added there was nothing farmers could do to bring the price down.
“Nobody wants to sell at a loss. The cost of production is becoming unbearable for us. If we sell at a reduced price, we will be out of business in no time,” he said.
