Poultry farmers call on government to implement ‘day old chicken’ flagship programme

The Central Regional Poultry Farmers Association has reiterated calls on the government to implement its flagship policy “day old chickens” to support small- and large-scale poultry farmers to enhance job creation and wealth.

According to the Association, the laudable programme known as “Nkoko Nkete”, if implemented, would go a long way to motivate the youth to enter the poultry industry to help revamp the economy.

Dr Eric Asamoah Darko, Chairman of the Central Regional Poultry Farmers Association, made the call in an interview to throw light on the ‘’Day Old chicks’’ policy at Osamkrom in the Gomoa Central District.

‘’The huge quantity of poultry products imported into the country annually with millions of dollars, could be reduced to ease incessant pressure on the Ghanaian cedi, if government is able to implement such a laudable flagship programme to motivate the youth,’’ the Chairman said.

He said the policy could be more beneficial to both new and existing farmers to give them impetus to increase poultry production to meet poultry meat consumption.

He said this would also offer the much-needed support to the poultry farmers to produce more products to feed the nation.

Dr Darko suggested that breeding space be given to existing farmers to safeguard the day-old chickens project yet to be rolled out, for at least one month before distributions were made to the farmers.

He enumerated among others, the land tenure system and capital as some of the challenges that were plaguing the business of farmers.

Dr Asamoah said many poultry farms had collapsed due to access to credit, and therefore renewed appeals to the government to create enabling environment for farmers to gain access to loan facilities.

The Regional Chairman said feeding cost had been the bane of poultry farmers, adding that 70 percent of their capital went into feeding of the animals and called on the government to support them.

On veterinary services, the Chairman lamented that farmers found it extremely difficult to commute to Greater Accra to treat their animals and appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to set up a clinic in the Central region.

Dr Asamoah further added his voice to the clarion call on the government to consider engaging more veterinary officers to enable them render services to farmers in the region to enhance poultry production.

Source: GNA

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