Agona Swedru: The Central Regional Poultry Farmers Association has urged the government to establish a comprehensive policy to support and sustain the poultry industry. The Association highlighted the lack of policy direction for poultry farmers, contrasting it with the incentives provided to crop farmers to enhance production.
According to Ghana News Agency, the call for a policy was made during a seminar organized by the Central Regional Poultry Farmers Association in collaboration with ECO Feeding Ghana Limited. The event, held in Agona Swedru, aimed to educate farmers on overcoming various challenges to maximize returns. Topics discussed included heat stress management, the importance of veterinary services, and effective broiler production to meet local market demands.
Participants in the seminar were from various districts, including Gomoa East, Gomoa Central, Awutu Senya-West, Awutu Senya-East, Agona West and East, Asikuma-Odoben-Brakwa, Cape Coast, and Ajumako-Enyan-Esiam.
Nana Dr. Darko Asamoah, the Central Regional Chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association, pointed out that the planting for food and jobs policy does not encompass poultry farmers. He emphasized the significant issue of limited access to capital, which hampers farmers’ ability to expand and meet market demands. Nana Dr. Asamoah appealed to the government for support in providing capital and land to encourage youth participation in poultry farming.
The Chairman also recommended that Senior High Schools establish poultry farms to reduce expenses on chicken and eggs. He stressed the need for the government to urgently recruit more veterinary staff and establish clinics and laboratories for animal care. He further urged the Ministry of Agriculture and development partners to conduct regular training sessions for farmers on the importance of poultry farming.
Nana Dr. Asamoah revealed that Ghana requires 350 metric tonnes of poultry, but current production stands at only 15 metric tonnes due to numerous challenges. He noted that the Central Region once had over 3,800 poultry farmers, but the number has dwindled to 1,260, necessitating urgent government intervention to prevent industry collapse. The poultry sector in the region currently employs over 10,000 people, significantly alleviating unemployment.
Dr. Peter Omega, Central Regional Director of Agriculture, encouraged poultry farmers to form cooperatives to strengthen their bargaining power for incentive packages from the new Minister of Agriculture. He stated that cooperatives find it easier to secure financial and logistical support for large-scale maize cultivation to feed their birds. Dr. Omega also addressed the staffing shortage of veterinary and extension officers, which hampers service delivery to farmers.
Mr. Tiago Ferreira, a visiting Portuguese poultry farmer and expert, advised farmers to address heat stress, a significant challenge in poultry farming. He also urged the adoption of modern feeding methods to enhance the animals’ resilience against production challenges.