As part of the implementation of the West African Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) in Ghana, discussions have begun with poultry industry players and manufacturers with a view to setting up a poultry intensification programme in the country. The aim of the programme is to produce at least 2 million broiler chickens by the end of 2024, as part of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture's (MoFA) strategy to revive the broiler industry and increase the rate of adoption of modern and improved poultry production, processing and marketing techniques.
Discussions with stakeholders focused on key issues in the value chain, including feed quality and supply, vaccinations, strict compliance with biosecurity requirements, weight and general health checks on chickens, quantities to be supplied per cycle, processing and packaging, meeting delivery deadlines, pricing and marketing of processed and frozen Ghanaian broilers.
The President of the Poultry Farmers Association, Victor Oppong Agyei, expressed his gratitude to the government and the World Bank for setting up the poultry intensification programme, and pledged that members would comply with the terms and conditions of the programme in order to move Ghana's poultry industry forward.
Officials from the Department of Animal Production and the Directorate of Veterinary Services of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) reminded the industry that the quality of their poultry, packaging, strict professionalism and perfection in the conduct of the poultry business are key to ensuring profitable markets. Mr Osei Owusu Agyeman, PRSP Coordinator in Ghana, highlighted the three guiding principles of the PRSP, namely "sustainability, ownership and public-private partnership" before challenging the beneficiaries to strive to ensure that Ghana's poultry industry thrives and expands beyond the programme.
