20100902
africanews

Interest groups in poultry and livestock business are looking up to a more rationalized national economic policy that favours indigenous Ghanaian farmers. They are worried the influx of imported poultry products threatens food security and employment generation for the youth.

Poultry farmers in the Ashanti region have been attending a seminar on “Guides for Better Poultry Management”, jointly organised by Laprovet SAS, a France-based veterinary drug manufacturer and their local representative, Maridav Ghana Limited, leading supplier of animal health and nutrition products.

According to the Managing Director of Maridav, Ernest Owusu-Afari, “a major challenge to local poultry farmers is the negative effects of the hot climatic conditions of the sub-region. Adverse effects of excessive exposure to high temperatures include excessive panting, poor growth and development of birds and reduced egg production and size, and lower egg shell quality.”

He believes the capacity-building programme will equip Poultry farmers with proven techniques for efficient and rewarding poultry production, adding the company is committed to supporting farmers improve managerial practices and optimal utilization of resources.

Later in an interview with Luv Fm, Owusu-Afari noted the unbridled poultry imports are weakening local farmers, whilst the country ‘exports jobs’ to other economies.

He said there is an urgent necessity to balance the needs of the Ghanaian poultry farmer against the needs of the population at large.

“Personally it is my opinion that perhaps it is a little short-sighted to open the floodgates to the extent to which we have done over the past couple of decades and in so doing we have weakened the Ghanaian poultry farmer and it’s a source of worry to us”, Owusu-Afari stated.