Minority leader demands agriculture minister’s appearance over poultry industry  

Mr Haruna Iddrisu, the Minority Leader, Friday demanded the urgent summoning of Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto, the Minister for Food and Agriculture over the state of the poultry industry in the country.

He said the scarcity of ingredients like maize for poultry feed and other teething challenges in the sector was gradually crippling it.

Speaking on the floor of Parliament, Mr Iddrisu said the current state of the poultry industry underscored the need for urgent action.

“Mr Speaker, there is a seeming problem with the poultry industry in Ghana. Poultry farmers have difficulty accessing what they call poultry feed,” he said.

Reports have it that the ongoing war in Ukraine has left Ghana and the rest of the world short of important grains.

Consequently, President Nana Akufo-Addo has publicly expressed concern about the shortage of fertiliser and its relationship with the production of grains.

As a result, Mr Iddrisu noted that the closure of some poultry-related businesses because of some difficulties had come to his attention.

“We are already an unacceptable net importer of poultry when we have the capacity and capability to produce the poultry that we need,” he said.

He emphasised that the poultry industry “remains a major source of employment apart from satisfying the protein needs of Ghanaians.”

In 2021, chicken imports were estimated at 350,000 metric tonnes.

According to projections for 2022, imports of chicken could rise to 400,000 metric tonnes.

Source: GNA