Govt to release GH¢10m to revamp poultry industry
Government is set to revamp the ailing poultry industry with GH¢10million to help develop a number of breeder bases to augment local production.
The amount, which according to the director in charge of Manufacturing at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, Mr Kofi Affresah Nuhu, would be released by the Export Development and Agricultural Investment Fund (EDAIF), and channelled through the poultry association for onward disbursement to its members.
He told the GRAPHIC BUSINESS on June 10 that although the funds were earmarked to be released early this year, there had been some challenges and gave the assurance that all the same, the poultry association would still get the funds in due course.
“Better too late than never, it is a process. Funding is coming from EDAIF. The ministry has given the approval for EDAIF to release the funds but there are certain disbursement arrangements that must be put in place, and once the disbursement arrangements are complete, the funds will be released,” he said in the interview.
According to him, the breeder project would help increase poultry production explaining that “they can bring down the cost of the feed so that the poultry industry can get access to raw materials at a reasonable cost.”
“We can produce the chickens at a competitive price and that is the essence of this project. The market is big; we can export eggs to our neighbours, if the project works,” he said.
Breeder Project
Mr Nuhu said the project would be done in collaboration with the poultry associations to look at areas that could be used to develop the breeder base.
“The breeder base supports the entire industry, we are looking at the hatcheries, they raise the small chickens, which people then come to buy to raise their own poultry, so that is where we are targeting now to improve the breeder base,” he explained.
When quizzed about the failure of similar projects in the past, Mr Nuhu explained that “yes, this is not the first time, but we didn’t do it, it is not the Ministry of Trade and Industry which did those projects, we never championed those projects. We are championing this one and we have a tradition of success.”
According to him, this was not even the right time to raise poultry as the rains had set in and added that, “We are working with the poultry farmers association. We are putting the funds in, and we will monitor how best they make use of the funds. There is a breeder committee that am part of, even though we haven’t started work because the funds have not come, strategy plans are ready; once the funds come in they take off.”
He said the emphasis would be on the big players in the industry. “Darko farms for instance, will be assisted to improve upon its breeder base. Not all of them are doing breeding so those who are doing it will be assisted to improve upon its breeder base. Those who are into rearing will then have access to the breeder bases to feed their farms.”
Competing against imported poultry
He said there was the need for the local poultry farmers to make their products competitive in order to match those that were imported.
“If I brought you US$1million and you put it under your bed and sleep, the money can do nothing. If I give you US$10,000 and you decide to work with it you can get more. So the perception and the passion of the poultry farmers themselves is very important,” he stressed.
Mr Nuhu explained that the issue of importation of poultry was of major concern as it seemed to be the preserve of most people despite its fatty content.
“If we make our poultry farmers competitive there will be no need to import. We have spoken to those who use poultry, the hotel industry and all, their challenge is sustainability. How sustainable will the local farmers be to supply their needs. If we can build on that, the market is there. They don’t like the imported poultry; they know the nutritional value is bad. I don’t eat imported one, so the challenge is to make our poultry farmers competitive,” he said.