Govt pledges support for poultry industry

The Minister of Trade and Industry, Alan Kyerematen, has assured of government’s commitment to provide businesses with the needed support for the production of quality products that can meet demands on the global market.

He explained that such businesses were critical in building a resilient and productive-led economy and creating jobs for the country’s youths.

The Minister was speaking at Akyem Kwabeng over the weekend when he inspected progress of work on a modern poultry farm there in the Eastern Region.

Developed by Buntaa Farms Limited, the poultry farm project is being undertaken under government’s flagship programme, One District One Factory (1D1F).

According to Mr kyerematen, following the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), it was government’s plan and strategy to promote the private sector to expand the country’s exports

Already, he noted that, as part of the support, the government was providing tax holidays, waiving import duties and other levies as well as technical support towards cushioning new businesses to operate efficiently and expand.

Founder of Buntaa Farms Limited, Kwame Gyan, asked the government to help access funding from the Ghana EXIM Bank to enable the company commence operations by February next year.

Currently, he said, about GH¢85 million was required for the completion and operationalisation of the poultry farm, which would contribute to a reduction in the importation of frozen poultry products while creating jobs in the area.

He noted that the project comprised of a layer and broiler components which were being delivered in three phases.

Mr Gyan said phase one includes work on the layer component with the capacity of 232,000 layers planned as one pullet house and four layer houses, each with 58,000 birds house.

Already, he indicated that the concrete platforms for three pullet houses, required for phase two and the four layer houses have been completed.

“The phase two includes two pullet houses and five layer houses, also with capacity of 58,000 per bird house,” he added.

Phase three, Mr Gyan said, include a broiler production component with an estimated capacity of one million birds plus a slaughtering house with adequate refrigeration facilities.

“The Broiler component is estimated 10 broiler houses with capacity of 60,000 birds each. We have total estimated production of 4.2 million broilers annually,” he noted.

He said the phase three was currently under feasibility studies stage adding that suitable land adjoining the layer farm had been identified.

FROM CLAUDE NYARKO ADAMS, AKYEM KWABENG: