The government has pledged to provide substantial support to poultry farmers, acknowledging their vital contribution to the agricultural sector.
In an interview with GIFTs News during a working visit to poultry farmers in Dormaa Ahenkro, Mr. Abdul Nassr Alidu, at the Flagstaff House from the 24-hour Economy Secretariat, remarked on their visit to the Bono Region to assess the poultry industry. He emphasized that the 24-hour economy policy is designed to create employment opportunities for Ghanaians, and in order to generate lucrative jobs, businesses must be able to expand.
It is essential that businesses receive the necessary resources for expansion to facilitate the creation of employment opportunities. He stated that the government is implementing measures to ensure that the majority of poultry production in the country originates from the Bono region.
He said over Gh¢2.5billion was spent last year to import poultry products and so by investing this amount locally, farmers will gain the financial capacity to expand their operations, thereby employing more individuals to support the 24-hour economy policy to benefit all poultry farmers in Dormaa and Ghana as a whole.
Mr. Abdul Nassr Alidu emphasized that numerous measures are being implemented to offer essential support to farmers. However, it is crucial to visit the farmers, understand their challenges, and subsequently provide solutions to enhance their operations.
He stated that some of the constraints faced by farmers pertain to financial issues. Therefore, they are collaborating with certain financial institutions to offer loans at interest rates below 12% to support the farmers. Additionally, they aim to provide insurance to cover the farmers’ activities, ensuring support in case of any issues.
Furthermore, they plan to establish a readily available market by connecting farmers to buyers, ensuring their products are sold immediately after production to prevent an egg glut. The formation of cooperatives is also intended, with the aim of establishing factories to produce egg powder and other products, thereby processing eggs into different forms to prevent losses.
According to him, this initiative is designed to enhance poultry production capabilities, ensuring that farmers have access to necessary resources such as advanced technology, superior feed quality, and improved farming techniques.
Mr. Paul Akrasi, the Chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association in Dormaa Ahenkro, articulated the numerous challenges confronting their farmers, which necessitate immediate intervention to improve their operations. He identified financial constraints as a principal issue, exacerbated by the high interest rates imposed by banks on loans needed for investment in farming activities.
Additionally, the elevated cost of feed, an oversupply of eggs due to low market demand for both eggs and broilers, insufficient human resources and labor, and other factors are adversely affecting their farming endeavors.
Mr. Akrasi expressed that if the government is willing to provide support, the farmers are prepared to accept assistance, enabling them to expand their farms, thereby creating more employment opportunities and increasing egg production to bolster the nation’s economy.
Story By: Kwaku Mensah Abrampa (Dormaa Ahenkro)
