The local poultry industry requires the support of both public and private investments to position it to meet domestic demand and consumption while also creating avenues for employment, Boris Baidoo – Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Poultry Framers Association, has said.
According to Mr. Baidoo, who is also the CEO of Boris B’s Farms, the poultry sector which currently employs over 5,000 people is capable of producing to meet the estimated 95 percent deficit of local poultry supply over a five-year period – if pragmatic measures are put in place to reinvest the over-GH¢2.4billion spent on annual poultry import.
He asked that a policy decision should be considered to reduce poultry import; and empower the local industry to cover the domestic demand through the issuing of grants and loans at a flexible interest rates to poultry farmers.
Mr. Baidoo, who was speaking in an interview with B&FT in a response to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s comments about the possibility of cutting down poultry imports if the local industry is capable of producing to meet domestic demand.
President Akufo-Addo, speaking during a visit to Akro Farms – which is under government’s ‘One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative’ at Asapare, in the Akuapim North district of the Eastern Region – acknowledged that a lot of money is spent on importing poultry products into the country, noting that this could be spent on the domestic market.
However, he observed that the local industry will have to demonstrate the ability to meet local demand in order to help reduce the importation. “We have to be sure that domestic production is up to it,” he stated.
The outbreak of COVID-19 and subsequent decision to place parts of the country on a ‘lockdown’ and closure of some hospitality facilities adversely the affected the local poultry industry
We are hopeful that with the easing up of the restrictions the sector will start enjoying some patronage to boost interest and revitalize the sector.
It is against this background that we think that supports such as the GH¢500million from the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB) to the local poultry industry should be channeled into grants for poultry farmers to help create more jobs through the expansion of their business.
We are certain that when local farmers are supported they will live up to the expectation of all of us.
