Agri National

Poultry Industry Remains an Employment Hub – Graduates Must Grab Opportunity

The country’s unemployment graduates have a huge job opportunity to grab in the poultry industry, this is the assertion of the Chief Executive Officer of Pamela Chicks and Feed, Madam Pamela Agbotse.

Madam Agbotse who made the assertion in an interview with Rite News’ Austin Ofori Addo said the poultry industry has the capacity to absorb most Ghanaian graduates who are seeking employment in the country with particular emphasis on women, into the agricultural sector to reduce the rate of unemployment in the country.

Her comments come on the heels of massive unemployment concerns among the chunk of the country’s graduates and the several job opportunities abounding in the sector, particularly in the poultry industry.

The latest Ghana Labour Force Survey Report by the Ghana Statistical Service (GSS) estimates Graduate Unemployment rate at 11.5 per cent (in 2015) ; a rise in about 6 per cent since 2012 | 2013 . However, The Graduate Unemployment Association contested this figure arguing that available statistics points to a substantial increase to about 24 to 28 percent, a development they ascribed to the droves of students graduating every year.

These grim statistics, Madam Agbotse argues therefore presents the poultry industry as offering alternatives for employment through a very broad value chain with the potential to employ a lot of people and generate huge sums of money for themselves and the country.

She expressed confidence in the potential of the agric sector to strive if the necessary attention is given to the poultry industry.

“The poultry industry if given the needed attention and good policies implemented can enhance the needed improvement in the sector because farmers who cultivate maize and soya beans for instance could fall on them for their market to create the needed ready market for such farmers,” she underscored.

Madam Pamela told Rite News’ Austin Ofori Addo that dealers in oyster shells, wheat brand and importers of inputs from other countries also stand to benefit from such policies together with dealers in eggs and processors who are mostly women and those who use it on a large scale for commercial purposes.

She explained that the poultry sector goes beyond production since there is a lot that goes into the industry.

“If and when women are encouraged and little support is offered can raise the poultry industry to a standard that will bring enough revenue to the country but the only thing they need is the right information on how to venture into the sector,” she asserted.

She cited the global practices in poultry production and urged for similar approaches to enhance the economic values of poultry production.

“Globally, countries are doing well in the poultry production and they are generating huge sums of revenue from it to support their economies and I’m very optimistic that Ghana can do the same,” she assured.

The Chief Executive Officer of Pamela Chicks and Feed who decried the use of antibiotics in poultry production advised poultry farmers in the country to as a matter of urgency reduce the use of such chemicals in their production to ensure the production of wholesome meat to meet set standards for local consumption and also for export.

“The manner in which antibiotics are used in the production of poultry in the past decade is very alarming and there is therefore the need for the necessary steps to be taken to ensure that the right things are done by the farmers to enhance the safety of all,” madam Agbotse stated.

An award for Diversification was presented to Madam Pamela Agbotse on the International Women’s Day celebrated on the 8th of March, 2018 for adding value to the core business (poultry) and for sustainable business during a ceremony organized by the Ghana Poultry Project, GPP in collaboration with the United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, AMPLIFIES, WISHH and ACDI.

By Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org/austinofori.addo@gmail.com

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