Ghana’s Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Setor Dumelo, is urging a renewed focus on homegrown poultry to ease the nation’s reliance on imported chicken products. Speaking at the Citi Business Forum on June 19, Dumelo—who also represents Ayawaso West Wuogon and farms poultry himself—outlined strategies to bring down production costs and strengthen local supply chains.
Why Local Poultry Matters
- Financial Relief: Imported chicken drives up consumers’ bills and strains foreign reserves. Boosting domestic output can stabilize prices and save hard-earned cedi.
- Rural Prosperity: Growing local flocks means new jobs and more income for smallholder farmers across the country.
Key Strategies to Grow the Industry
- Incentivize Domestic Producers
• Encourage large importers to establish processing and breeding facilities in Ghana.
• Offer tax breaks or subsidies to enterprises that invest in local hatcheries and feed mills. - Unlock Bank Financing
• Dumelo challenged financial institutions to view poultry as a viable, low-risk investment.
• Propose tailored loan products—lower interest rates and grace periods—to help farmers scale operations. - Let Market Forces Play Out
• Instead of an outright import ban, focus on reducing production costs so local chicken naturally outcompetes foreign brands.
• “If we can produce more cheaply here,” Dumelo noted, “Ghanaians will choose our own poultry.”
Next Steps for Farmers and Investors
- Farmers should organize into cooperatives to negotiate better feed prices and bulk financing.
- Banks and microfinance firms need to collaborate with the Ministry of Agriculture to design risk-sharing schemes.
- The government will review import tariffs and consider performance‐based incentives for local processors.
By cutting red tape, offering practical financial tools, and letting competition flourish, Ghana can transform its poultry sector—putting more money in farmers’ pockets, lowering prices for consumers, and reducing the billions spent each year on imported chicken.
Source: https://www.modernghana.com
