Poultry farmers in the country are appealing to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufu-Addo to urgently sack the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto for his failure to sustain the local poultry industry from slumping.
The Bono Regional Chairman for Poultry Farmers Association, David K Ampofo, is livid at the Agric Minister’s posture and his total neglect of the poultry industry adding that the industry is now in ‘life support’ unit.
Expressing his dissatisfaction to OTECNEWS on Friday, August 13, 2021, Mr Ampofo stated that there is an urgent need to address the pressing issues such as the continuous importation of frozen chicken, rising cost of production emanating from the ever-rising poultry feed inputs like maize, soy and wheat bran among things.
He stated that the raw materials used in preparing the feed has surged by over 100 percent. “There was a major problem with the prices of the raw materials especially maize and soybean. Maize for instance went up by 100% and then wheat and soyabean all went up” he said.
High cost of production
The poultry industry can break even at a maximum maize price of Gh₵60 per 50kg bag and soya beans at Gh₵140 per 50 kg bag. With the current prices of maize selling between Gh₵130 – Gh₵140 per 50kg bag and soya beans at Gh₵220 per 50kg bag, the additional costs are eroding the working capital of the poultry farmers.
According to him, local poultry farmers have not benefitted from the Akufo led administration, hence their intended action. “There was a major problem with the prices of the raw materials especially maize and soybean. Maize for instance went up by 100% and then wheat and soybean all went up” he said.
He further revealed on the program that, the minister for Agriculture has disobeyed the president’s directives to them to save the local poultry industry.
“After months of a fruitful discussion with the President at the Jubilee House, we have not had the opportunity to meet these ministers who were instructed by the President to find a lasting solution to the numerous challenges confronting the Farmers,” he said.
The Bono Regional Chairman for the Association was unhappy with the lukewarm attitude exhibited by the sector ministers and says if it continues this way all the Poultry firms will fold up since they are struggling to break even.
If the price of maize keeps rising, his business will continue to sink. “When your maize finishes all your birds will die,” he revealed.
