By Rasheeda Hamidu
Rising imports of beef and other meat products could weaken Nigeria’s livestock industry by exposing local producers to unfair competition and undermining domestic production, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) has warned.
MACBAN President, Baba Othman-Ngelzarma, raised the concern in a statement in Abuja on Monday, according to a report by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Othman-Ngelzarma said the association was not opposed to international trade or legitimate competition but warned against policies that could put Nigerian livestock producers at a disadvantage.
He said Nigeria was already experiencing the consequences of similar policies in the rice sector, where increased imports were putting pressure on local production despite domestic rice production reaching nearly 98 per cent self-sufficiency.
The MACBAN president warned that the livestock sector could face a similar situation if local producers were exposed to direct competition from highly developed foreign livestock industries.
He identified rising feed and transportation costs, insecurity, shrinking grazing resources, inadequate infrastructure, limited access to affordable finance and climate change as some of the challenges already confronting livestock producers.
Othman-Ngelzarma said these challenges could make it difficult for Nigerian producers to compete with cheaper imported meat and could push some producers out of business.
He noted that the livestock economy supports pastoralists, farmers, feed producers, traders, transporters, butchers, processors and livestock and veterinary professionals, making the sector important to employment and food security.
He therefore urged the Federal Government to assess the effect of increased meat imports on domestic production, employment, investment and national food security before further liberalising the market.
“Before further liberalising the market, Nigeria should pursue strategic trade, not import dependency,” he said.
The MACBAN president said imports should only address genuine supply gaps and should complement domestic production rather than replace it.
He also commended the Federal Government’s investments and reforms in the livestock sector, saying the initiatives could improve productivity and strengthen domestic producers.
NatureNews reports that the concerns come at a time when Nigeria’s livestock sector is also dealing with climate-related pressures, including shrinking grazing resources, making support for resilient domestic production increasingly important.
