The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) is calling on the government to support local grain farmers to expand their productive capacity. PFAG is also asking the government to support farmers who produce grain to produce at a relatively cheaper price. When this is done, the farmers would be able to produce poultry feed locally and offer same to poultry farmers at reduced prices. This would in turn keep poultry farmers in business and ensure that they are able to meet local demand.
Dr. Charles Nyaaba, the Head of Programmes and Advocacy at the Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG), said this when he spoke to Mark Smith on A1 Radio today, Tuesday, November 29, 2022. His comments were in relation to the government’s latest strategy to boost local productive capacity.
It would be recalled that in the 2023 Budget Statement and Financial Policy, the government stated, “to boost local productive capacity, we will among others: cut the imports of public sector institutions that rely on imports either for inputs or consumption by 50% and will work with the Ghana Audit Service and the Internal Audit Agency to ensure compliance; support the aggressive production of strategic substitutes, including the list disclosed at the President’s last address to the nation; Support large-scale agriculture and agribusinesses interventions through the Development Bank Ghana and ADB Bank; introduce policies for the protection and incubation newly formed domestic industries to allow them to make the goods produced here competitive for local consumption and also for exports. To promote exports, we will among others: expand our productive capacity in the real sector of the economy and actively encourage the consumption of locally produced rice, poultry, vegetable oil and fruit juices, ceramic tiles among others.”
Dr. Nyaabe said, “today, we have about 70 percent of people in poultry going down because they can’t afford the cost of feed, medication and other things. This is as a result of the high cost of producing maize. Most of the farmers in maize production actually shifted from maize to other commodities,” he said.
Once the cost of production of feed is significantly reduced, poultry farmers can now produce birds at cheaper prices, remain competitive, profitable and still manage to meet the local demand.
“Once the price of the feed is low, poultry farmers would be able to purchase and remain in business,” he said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
