Poultry farmers worried about high cost of yellow corn

Mr Kwadwo Asante, Chairman of the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers, on Monday appealed to the government to create a buffer stock for yellow corn to help protect the poultry industry.

He said the current upsurge in the prices of the commodity on the Ghanaian open market was not only worrying, but was also placing financially a burden on farmers which could have rippling effects on consumers.

Mr Asante, who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, (GNA) after a meeting of members with Vice President John Dramani Mahama at the Castle, Osu, said 125 kilogrammes of yellow corn, which sold at GH¢60 in March is now selling at GH¢100.

He said although prices of their products (chicken) had not changed as a result of the high cost of poultry feed farmers would be compelled to do so in the coming weeks if the trend continued.

The National Chairman said the creation of a buffer stock for yellow corn would provide an opportunity for all year-round supply to farmers to perform their work smoothly.

Mr Asante said apart from a stiff competition from imported chicken, which was comparatively cheaper on the market; there were other challenges such as high cost of vaccines, feeds and day-old-chicks.

“We, the farmers in the industry, believe it is better to eat our chicken that is healthy and comparatively expensive to cheaper chicken that you cannot be sure of its safety.”

He said his outfit would soon meet with the Vice President and all other stakeholders to fashion out better ways of sustaining the industry.

Source: GNA