Ghana: Lower commodity prices to boost poultry production in 2024
The government of Ghana is doubling down on efforts to boost poultry production in 2024. Industrial forecasts anticipate a significant increase, targeting a production of 70,000 tonnes of chicken meat, representing a rise of approximately 17% compared to the previous year.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) data, this upswing is attributed to the continued stability observed in the market for raw materials, especially corn, used by stakeholders in the poultry industry.
In 2023, the price of corn recorded a decrease, reaching around 227 cedis (19 $) for a 50 kg bag, compared to 265 cedis (32 $) the previous year.
Simultaneously, the 50 kg bag of soybean meal also saw its price drop by 16% in the domestic market, settling at 460 cedis (39 $).
Although this increase in production reflects the resilience of the poultry industry, it remains insufficient to meet national demand.
Ghana plans to import approximately 270,000 tonnes of chicken meat in 2024, mainly from the Netherlands, the United States, Poland, and Brazil, according to USDA forecasts.
It is noteworthy that the Ghanaian government aims to achieve 13% self-sufficiency by the end of 2024, up from the current 5%, as part of the second phase of its flagship program «Planting for Food and Jobs» (PFJ).
In November 2023, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) initiated the distribution of 4.5 million day-old chicks to poultry farmers as part of a strategy to increase local poultry meat production by 13,200 tonnes by the end of 2023.
Bryan Acheampong, the portfolio head, stated that this plan also included the distribution of vaccines and animal feed to support farmers.
Neil Camara
