The Lagos state government has introduced the Ounje Eko Farmers’ Subsidy Program to provide financial relief to fish and poultry farmers. The initiative, which offers a 25 percent subsidy on animal feed, aims to reduce production costs and address food inflation in the state.
Starting February 5, 2025, the program has begun distributing subsidised feed every Wednesday, allowing farmers to purchase poultry and fish feed at a reduced price. Farmers can access up to ten 25kg bags of feed weekly, with a maximum subsidy of 25 percent. The government plans to distribute the feed through farmer associations to ensure transparency and efficient delivery.
The program is designed to help at least 1,000 fish farmers weekly, preventing further farm closures and promoting food security. Lagos State Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Systems, Abisola Olusanya, highlighted the program’s role in mitigating the rising costs of production, particularly for feed, which accounts for over 70 percent of production costs in livestock and aquaculture farming.
According to WorldFish, Nigeria produces 140,000 metric tonnes of pelleted feed annually but still imports around 70,000 metric tonnes to meet growing demand, especially in catfish and tilapia farming. High feed costs, which account for 60 to 70 percent of production expenses, are a major barrier to the growth of the aquaculture industry.
The Lagos subsidy program is expected to alleviate some of the financial burdens faced by farmers, support local agricultural production, and stabilise food supply. The initiative will also help strengthen agricultural value chains by collaborating with reputable feed millers and farmers’ associations.
The programme is meant to support not just fish farmers, but poultry farmers as well.
