Causes, Effects and Possible Solution of Seasonal Egg Gluts: A Case Study of Ejigbo Small Poultry Holders Perspectives.

Abstract

A study was conducted to assess small holder poultry farmers' perspectives on the causes, effects and solution to the cyclical egg glut in Ejigbo, Nigeria using questionnaire for data collection and descriptive data analysis. Farmers interviewed agreed that government policies have a registered effect on drop of egg sales (73.6%), low egg sales due to low per capita income and consequently purchasing power (95%), lack of adequate education (75%), availability and affordability of close substitutes (20%), and availability and affordability of complementary foods e.g yam, bread (67%) were factors responsible for egg glut. Cyclical egg glut spans for a period of about four months in a year (80%) starting from March-June. The respondents also agreed that the period of recovery post-glut was 6 months. Respondents agreed that, sales of live birds (90%), disposal of stale eggs, sales of eggs at prices below marginal cost or high discount (85%), product sales on credit were the major coping strategies employed during egg gluts.

Keywords:Egg-glut, small holders, peri-urban