The Head of Department of Animal Science of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Prof. K. Adomako, has called for urgent regulatory measures to sanitise Ghana’s poultry industry and protect farmers from avoidable losses.
According to him, the absence of enforceable hatchery regulations and breeding standards has allowed uncertified day-old chicks to flood the market, posing biosecurity and economic risks to commercial poultry farmers.
He made the remarks at the opening of a five-day annual capacity-building programme themed “Bridging the Technology Transfer Gap for Poultry Experts and Consultants in Ghana.”
“The poultry industry in Ghana has largely been driven by private enterprise, yet since independence, we have not had a single established breeding company. This is a significant gap in our value chain,” Prof. Adomako stated.
He explained that the breeding of poultry—where genetically selected birds were raised to produce high-quality chicks—required heavy capital investment and a business model that could reach global markets to be profitable.
“This is why most private investors have shied away from it. But government can step in. In other countries, governments have made the necessary investments. Ghanaian investors can also venture into it, but they must be prepared for the cost and long-term nature of breeding,” he added.
According to Prof. Adomako, regulation is essential not only for market order but also for safeguarding public and animal health.
“It’s time for academia, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and all stakeholders to unite and advocate for government to play a neutral role as a referee in ensuring standards are upheld.”
He cited ongoing efforts led by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), supported by the Ghana Poultry Project and funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which developed a hatchery regulation framework. Though completed, the policy has yet to be fully implemented.
“We’re working with the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers to re-engage the GSA and push for enforcement of the hatchery regulations,” he said.
The current situation, where uncertified chicks are boxed and sold to unsuspecting farmers, he warned, leads to poor flock performance, higher mortality rates, and financial loss.
“Investing in the wrong chicks is one of the biggest losses poultry farmers face. Proper regulation will protect them and improve confidence in the sector,” he stressed.
Prof. Adomako also highlighted the department’s expertise in developing poultry breeds that are well-suited to Ghana’s tropical conditions. He urged government and private investors to support the development and commercial production of such breeds for local and international markets.
“We have the science, we have the knowledge. What we need now is the investment and the regulatory framework to make our poultry industry globally competitive,” he concluded.
The Vice President of the Poultry Farmers Association, Francis Nsiah, complained bitterly about government’s inability to contact them in line with the “akoko nkitinkiti” project.
He mentioned that they had written letters to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to discuss how they could contribute to the project but yet to receive any feedback adding “We are the ones who can really help to boost this laudable project.”
FROM KINGSLEY E.HOPE,
KUMASI
