By Florence Afriyie Mensah / Naa Shormei Odonkor, GNA
Kumasi, Feb. 09, GNA – Stakeholders are working in a bid to address Ghana’s poultry sector structural challenges.
The country consumes an estimated 300,000 to 460,000 metric tons of poultry meat annually, yet between 80 and 95 percent of poultry products consumed are imported, mainly frozen chicken.
This has prompted the Animal Production Directorate under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited and the Mastercard Foundation’s Harnessing Agricultural Productivity and Prosperity for Youth (HAPPY) Programme, to engage a consultant to develop a Poultry Sector Master Plan for Ghana.
The objective is to harness opportunities within the sector, accelerate growth, reduce import dependence, and unlock job creation and economic benefits, particularly for youth, PWDs and women.
As part of the assignment, the Animal Production Directorate is convening poultry stakeholders across the Northern Sector, Middle Belt, and Southern Sector to ensure broad-based participation and ownership of the policy process.
The Poultry Masterplan Stakeholders Dialogue, an initiative of the HAPPY Programme, is aimed at supporting the development of a comprehensive, data-driven Poultry Sector Master Plan for Ghana.
The stakeholder engagements are designed to validate baseline insights on the poultry value chain, identify key constraints affecting competitiveness, and define policy, infrastructure, and investment priorities.
Mr Abraham Sarfo, Agribusiness and Value Chain Specialist at Agri-Impact, addressing stakeholders in the Middle Belt said despite the progress made in the poultry sector including governments’ investments over the past few years, there is much to be done.
He explained that “with Ghana’s demand level and our supply as a county, we probably need to do 10 times what is being done now.
We have seen an increase in investment in the broiler industry; feed mills, new feed formulations, processing plants are all coming up of which some are currently supplying high-earned markets”.
Mr Sarfo said there was the need for more investment in technology and innovation, commending Ghana EXIM Bank for prioritizing four areas within the current government’s opportunities for investment including poultry (broiler) industry, rice, and garment and textiles.
He called for a stronger poultry stakeholders association to work hard, research, and invest in policies for progress.
Mr Prince Manu Yeboah, Business Development and Research Manager, Agri-Impact, highlighting HAPPY Programme’s progress from December 2023 to December 2025 said a total of 4.6 million poultry birds have been produced, $25.2 million revenue generated and 8,000 youth jobs created.
With broiler meat alone, the Programme has produced 7.5 thousand metric tonnes.
Dr Dennis Owusu Adjei, Deputy Director in-charge of Breeding, MoFA, was hopeful that stakeholders’ inputs could forge a solid foundation for local production and consumption of poultry products.
GNA
Edited by Kwabia Owusu-Mensah/Linda Asante Agyei