The Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Ali Muhammed, says Ghana’s efforts to revive the poultry sector must go beyond government intervention
The report indicates that the Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Ali Muhammed, says Ghana’s efforts to revive the poultry sector must go beyond government interventions and focus on fixing the underlying challenges affecting production.
It further notes that he argues that without a coordinated system to increase local production of key inputs such as maize and soya, poultry farmers will continue to struggle to compete with imported frozen chicken.
Speaking during a Joy Business roundtable discussion on the topic “Can Ghana Feed Itself? The Future of Poultry Beyond Nkoko Nketenkete”, Mr Muhammed stated the poultry industry requires stronger collaboration among government agencies, farmers and input suppliers.
According to him, the lack of coordination between the agriculture and trade sectors has made it difficult for farmers to access affordable raw materials needed for animal feed production.
“How do you increase your soya production? These are the major components in poultry production. There’s a total disjoint,” he said.
Mr Muhammed emphasised that poultry farmers are not seeking short-term support but sustainable policies that will address production challenges.
“Whenever we approach these policymakers, we are not in for the freebies. We want this thing to be sustainable. But there’s a lack of coordination,” he added.
He expressed concern about challenges within institutions responsible for supporting the sector, including the veterinary services system, which he described as needing urgent attention.
Mr Muhammed stated the announcement of the government’s Nkoko Nketenkete initiative initially generated optimism among farmers, as many expected it to provide a major boost to local poultry production.
However, he argued that the programme has not sufficiently addressed the structural challenges facing the industry.
“When we saw intervention being led by government, we stated hallelujah. Government is going to do something wonderful. But after some few months into the first phase of implementation, we stated no, no, no. It’s only a catching phase,” he said.
According to him, the bigger challenge remains creating the conditions needed to make poultry production commercially viable.
He cited the recent egg glut, which forced farmers to seek public attention over difficulties finding markets for their produce, as evidence of the challenges facing producers.
“Why should the farmer, after going through all this hassle, raise birds, have these eggs, and there’s no market for egg products? It hurts a lot,” he said.
