Poultry Farmers in the Northern Region of Ghana have shut down their businesses due to the non-availability of feed for their birds.
Numbering up to a hundred, the rearers explained that it does not make economic sense for them to keep to business when what they produce does not meet the production cost.
Maize, soya beans and other protein feed in the Tamale Metropolis are expensive and hard to get as a 100kg bag of maize costs between Ghc450.00 and Ghc500.00.
For a rearer to provide for 1200 broilers within a month, he/she will need one ton of feed which will cost him/her around Ghc2,500.00.
Speaking to Moses Apiah, a reporter with A1 Radio, Mohamed Abdul Basit, noted that he shut down his farm because he could not keep up in business. Basit stressed that he established the business with a credit facility of Ghc10,000.00 three years ago, but after which, unavailability of feed and market forced him out.
Basit who now works with the National Insurance Scheme said the industry can only revamp if the government and relevant stakeholders put in realistic measures geared towards cushioning the farmers in the region “through the importation of maize, soya beans and stop frozen chicken importation from China”.
Alhassan Aliu also suffers a similar fate as Basit. Aliu who doubts the industry will ever make an impact said he has no fate that the official responsible can even make reasonable decisions to support farmers in the region. Aliu though refused to disclose the amount he spent on his farm before its closure, he could not still believe he made a wrong investment.
“Now, I’m thinking of investing in cattle. That I can take care of them. They will not depend on maize or soya beans. Officials responsible in the poultry industry really fail us”, he added.
But the Chairman of the Northern Poultry Farmers Association of Ghana, George Dassah who has been in the business for 12 years still has hope for its growth. Mr. Dassah explained that though the cost of feed is skyrocketing, the government can do something provided it wants to help farmers in the region.
Mr. Dassah is currently struggling to take care of his 1200 broilers which he will have to buy feed costs Ghc2,500.00 for them within two weeks.
Touching on his past glory, Dassah said 5 years ago, the business was so lucrative that he used to earn Ghc5,000.00 within a month. His life and that of the family was depended on his farm in the Fuo community in the Tamale Metropolis but now, he cannot even afford chicken feed for his birds.
Despite struggling to stay in business, Dassah however called for collective efforts by stakeholders in Agriculture and other relevant authorities to come to the aid of the farmers in the region.
Source: A1rdioonline.com|101.1 MHz|Moses Apiah|Tamale|Ghana
