The President of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association (GAPFA), Michael Nyarko Ampem has suggested to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with feed mills to ensure they (poultry farmers) get a regular supply of feed for their poultry.
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According to him, this plan is the only way to address the acute feed shortage and spike in maize prices and poultry feed on the market.
He believes the allocation of a specific tonnage of feed and maize to the sector before export will be highly appreciated by poultry farmers.
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Speaking in an interview with Samuel Eshun on the Happy Morning Show, Michael Nyarko Ampem stated, “We should look at the demand of maize and its supply. The maize a family can finish in 6 months, the birds can finish it in 2 hours so the Agric Ministry needs to look at the demand by both farmers and families and provide the required stock.
The Buffer Stock should also sign an MOU with the feed mills so they can produce for us the quantity we need all the time. So after satisfying our wheat bran and maize demand, we can then go ahead and export. We have almost 2000 members and lots of birds in the system.”
The Ministry has allowed poultry farmers to import feed, however, poultry farmers say the cost in importing maize is exorbitant compared to buying on the local market.
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GAPFA and the Ghana Feedmillers Association are therefore calling on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to sign an MOU with feed millers to help address the scarcity of feed and the spike in prices of maize and poultry feed on the market. The 2 associations believe such an MOU will guarantee at least 50% regular supply of the poultry feed.
To him, such a deal will save businesses from collapsing. “The industry is experiencing intermittent shutdowns as a lot of people have stopped poultry farming but a total shutdown is not far.”