Poultry Sector Under Siege: Farmers Say Chinese Operators Are ‘Crippling Local Industry’
The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association is warning that foreign companies are taking over the industry more and more. They say that the expanding number of Chinese companies in the poultry value chain is making the egg oversupply that is hurting farmers right now much worse. The group says that the rise in unsold eggs is already hurting worker pay, hurting income sources, and putting many local investments on the verge of failure. The poultry business, which seemed quite promising at the beginning of the year, started to fall sharply in June, with farmers, especially in Sunyani, suddenly having too much of the product. Ali Mohammed, the association’s CEO, stated that roughly 38,000 crates of eggs are still unsold. He blamed the situation on more international dealers, mainly Chinese retailers, becoming involved in a market that was meant for locals. “I think that every part of the economy has its own rules for who can participate. I’m not sure I could go to India, China, or Ethiopia today and start a poultry farm without going through the right steps to make sure I can start making eggs.” “I know that the retail part of the economy is only for locals, and even if there are going to be foreign participants, the rules are clear.” What we’ve seen, I’m afraid, is that these folks are coming in with a lot of money. I’m afraid our locals can’t compete on a level playing field. There are big chicken farms in the Asutuare neighborhood of Fetteh. He replied, “The Chinese are not only in galamsey; they are also in poultry.” A trip to Blessed Farms, where 1,500 birds lay almost 30 boxes of eggs per day, showed how bad the matter really was. Marian Mensah, the owner, stated that sales had dropped, making it harder and harder to keep the company going.
