Poultry farmers blame hikes in prices of chicken on high cost of feed  

Poultry farmers in the Ashanti region are blaming the current increases in prices of eggs and fowls on the local market, on the hikes of poultry feeds and other inputs on the international market.

Dr Boris Baidu, Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Poultry Farmers Association told the Ghana News Agency in an interview in Kumasi that, increases in poultry feeds such as shells, wheat, soya, maize, and others on the world market, coupled with hikes in petroleum prices, were the cause of the increase of local poultry products.

Prices of crates of egg at the farm gate are currently selling at GH¢22, GH¢24, and GH¢26 depending on the size of the eggs.

Fowls are also selling between GH¢35 and GH¢45 at the farm.

Crates of egg were selling between GH¢18 and GH¢20 before the hike.

However, the sharp increases in the products during the Christmas and new-year festivities had caused many people to complain.

This, Mr Baidu, who is the Chief Executive of Boris B Farms, says should not be blamed on the poultry farmer or the government.

He said Ghanaian poultry farmers had over the years cried for financial support to expand and increase production but this had received little response from both the government and the financial institutions.

Mr Baidu said the refusal of some commercial banks to grant them flexible credit facilities was making it difficult for many farmers to sustain their business.

He stressed the need for parliament to push for sustainable financial support for poultry farmers to avert future occurrence of the current situation.

Source: GNA