Proper regulation, financial support and an increased subsidy on day-old chicks and other inputs are key to building a resilient poultry economy, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Boris B Farms Ltd. has said.
For him, successive governments have not done enough to help properly regulate the activities of poultry farmers – making it difficult for them to access financial support among other things.
He adds that with the current global recession, poultry inputs such as feed, vaccines etc. have increased astronomically, making it difficult for farmers to increase their production and with most of the farms even collapsing entirely.
However, Dr. Baidoo believes a proper poultry council in place would ensure the once-vibrant industry is resuscitated to create more jobs.
“A poultry Council that includes all stakeholders – millers, Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), poultry farmers, Ghana Standard Authority (GSA) etc. – needs to be formed to regulate our activities properly,” he said.
Dr. Baidoo, speaking to the B&FT in an interview, further stressed that due to the expensive nature of production it is necessary that farmers be given the needed financial support to boost their work, which has the potential to give the country millions of cedis and also create employment for more than 1 million people.
He therefore urged the Finance Ministry, Bank of Ghana and government as a whole to give some sort of relief to the agriculture sector, especially livestock.
Ban on imported poultry products
Dr. Boris Baidoo was not so enthused about an outright ban on imported poultry products, but he recommended that government should rather start by directing importers to reduce the quantum of imports little by little as the local industry boosts production to meet demand.
He believes that when this is done and local industry becomes resilient, the country in coming years will not need to import poultry products but rather rely on the local products.
Helping smaller poultry farmers
Dr. Baidoo further told the B&FT that currently most of the well-established industry players are assisting out-growers to build their work – all in an effort to lift the ailing sector and also meet demand for the local poultry industry.
