The Poultry Farmers Association in the Ashanti region have intensified calls for the government to ban the export of grains.
This, they believe, will prevent the shortage of the product in the country which tends to negatively affect the poultry industry.
They have urged the government to provide incentives for local production to prevent their businesses from collapsing, as they continue to struggle as a result of the prevailing circumstances.
The farmers highlighted the high cost of production as a major challenge hindering the progress of the poultry industry and indicated that if no measures are put in place, they will soon run out of business.
During a recent inspection of chicken processing at Rockland Farm and Darko Farms, Dr. Boris Baidu, the Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Poultry Farmers Association, praised the Food System Resilience Program (FSRP) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture.
He highlighted the program’s support in revitalising poultry businesses, noting that 130,000 day-old chicks delivered in early June are now fully matured and being processed for the market.
He also called on the government to invest in the industry and intensify efforts to boost the sector.
“At this moment we will say there is a ban on the exportation of grains is not a bad idea so at least it will help us maintain certain prices. Again, the government should ensure that some sort of subsidies are given to local producers in terms of subsidies for electricity prices, in terms of prices of grains and how we can get lower prices to produce affordable chicken. I used affordable, the reason being that the FSRP has been very instrumental in everything that we are doing. But if we have to put every cost on them, it’s not going to help,” he stated.
The Project Coordinator of the Food System Resilience Program, Osei Owusu Agyeman, and the Deputy Director of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Animal Production Directorate, Dr. Abdul Razak Okine, shared insights about efforts to support the poultry industry and prevent food insecurity.
“In our agriculture value chain, we don’t have sustainable businesses, they die and then somebody else revives it. The key is to make sure that every aspect of the value chain they build businesses that can be sustained and be resilient enough to stand the global shocks, that is my focus now” he stated.
Another continued: “This year, the ministry under the FSRP 2.0 is targetting 18 million broiler birds. Now, the FSRP, working with the farmers is producing part of the 18 million. Now, they are producing 2 million of these birds. We expect that by the end of the year, what the ministry can produce and then together with the bits and pieces of what others are producing, we will be able to meet the target that we’ve been able to set for ourselves,” he stated.
