Ghana’s apparent lack of commitment to the development of the poultry sector is a matter of concern to the country’s poultry farmers.
The Vice President of the Poultry Farmers Association of Ghana, Mr. Napoleon Oduro has expressed concern over government’s apparent neglect of the poultry sector though poultry production contributes significantly to the Ghanaian economy.
Mr. Oduro who described the development as unfortunate couldn’t fathom why the country could not boast of a single poultry investment program to confront the challenges facing the poultry industry.
“For the past thirty (30) years, there has not been any poultry investment program in the country to solve the challenges facing poultry production in the country to bridge the gap between the local industry and the foreign counterparts, a development which is leading to the massive importation of frozen chicken into the country,” he noted.
Speaking in an interview with Captain Adabugar during the ‘Akuafo Sesen’ segment of the Rite Morning Ride to register the challenges facing poultry production in the country, the Vice President of the association regretted the huge importation of the product into the country when the country is capable of its own poultry production potentials.
“Three hundred thousand (300,000) metric tons of frozen chicken are imported into the country annually,” he complained.
“Why should this be so when we can produce to feed ourselves locally? The government can bridge the gap between the local industry and the foreign counterpart if it would invest in the local production.”
The Vice President of the Poultry Farmers Association of Ghana who compared the situation in foreign countries to what pertains in Ghana said foreign countries do not have any difficulties in loan assessment which is a key driver of the industry.
“Unlike Ghana, poultry producers in foreign countries receive some assistance from their various countries and they also don’t have any difficulties in accessing credit facilities from financial institutions in their country,” he said.
“But in Ghana, the situation is different and the government is not ready to invest in the sector while the financial institutions are not granting credit facilities to farmers and have diverted their portfolios,” he observed.
Planting for food and jobs
Mr. Napoleon Oduro who underscored the importance of government’s planting for food and jobs policy, was hopeful that the inclusion of maize and soybeans into the program will enhance the production of poultry feed since the two commodities serve as the primary source of food for the birds.
“Poultry farmers are very happy with the introduction of the policy because maize and soybeans which form part of the program serve as the main food fed the chicken,” he asserted.
He however appealed to government to involve the poultry sector in the implementation of its one district, one policy factory policy to address the challenges of poultry food processing which remains one of the key challenges of the sector.
“Government should consider the inclusion of the poultry sector in the one district, one factory program so that we can easily process their feed,” he urged.
Mr. Oduro was hopeful that these and other pressing needs of the sector if addressed could greatly improve upon the sector whose production value chain could employ more than five hundred thousand (500,000) people.
Source: Prince Paul Amuzu/www.ritefmonline.org/princeamuzu667@gmail.com
