The Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers has admired Agriculture Development Bank (ADB) as well as government in its bid to revive the ailing livestock industry in the country with their unflinching support to develop the sector.
This was publicly announced by the association’s National Vice Chairman Mr Napoleon Oduro, on Rite FM’s Agric Forum on Saturday.
According to him, GHC500 Million ADB loan has come at the right time, where the association is devising several means to prevent the country’s livestock industry from total collapse.
He said the loan aims at improving Ghana’s poultry feed production capacity, and to enhance the poultry value chain to increase the availability of quality poultry feed, improve its accessibility to poultry producers, and expand the trade of poultry products, especially eggs.
Mr Oduro said companies operating under the value chain in the sector will position themselves and develop specific strategies to advance their businesses, adding that it was important for them to take into account the branding and labeling of products which in due time will revamp the sector in order to gradually reduce the nation’s massive importation of poultry products.
National Vice Chairman noted that the funds will help the association develop state of the art poultry processing infrastructure in Ghana, as well as provide a sustainable solution to the rising cost of production for poultry farmers, geared towards enhancing the production capacities of local poultry farmers.
Discussing the status of the poultry industry, Mr Napoleon Oduro said “Broiler production businesses in Ghana has collapsed as a result of unfair competition from imported cheap poultry products. From a market share of nearly 100 per cent in the early 1980s, local producers currently account for less than 3 per cent of market share for poultry products. The collapse of broiler production has also adversely affect the related hatchery, feed mill and associated industries.”
With Ghana importing $400 million worth of meat products annually with local meat production accounting to a minimal meat requirements, he vowed that the association will use the funds judiciously without any political interference to meet the purpose by which the loan was provided, despite the failure of successive programs for the sector by the previous administration.
In achieving this, he opined that there is a need for the government to make the livestock industry one-stop-shop by devoting the needed attention and funds to man it.
By: Austin Ofori Addo/ritefmonline.org
