THE Indigenous Poultry Farmers Association of Ghana (IPFAG) has called on the government to support efforts to promote the rearing of indigenous poultry across the country.
The association also appealed to non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and philanthropists to invest in the sector, noting that such support would provide a sustainable pathway to food security, youth employment and economic empowerment.
The President of IPFAG, Mr Issifu Basideen, made the appeal in an interview with The Ghanaian Times in Tamale yesterday.
He said for the past decade, the association had been advocating increased production and consumption of local poultry, including chicken, guinea fowl, duck and turkey.
According to him, promoting indigenous poultry would attract investment into the sector, reduce the country’s reliance on imported poultry products and strengthen local value chains.
Mr Basideen explained that indigenous poultry farming offered a viable opportunity to create jobs, particularly for the youth, while helping to address social challenges such as drug abuse, trafficking and petty crime in communities.
Engaging young people in productive agricultural activities, he said, would not only improve their livelihoods but also steer them away from deviant behaviours.
He noted that over the years, IPFAG had embarked on nationwide sensitisation campaigns to educate the public on the economic and nutritional benefits of rearing indigenous poultry.
“Through community engagements, training sessions and stakeholder meetings, the association has been equipping farmers with knowledge and practical skills to improve productivity and scale up their operations,” he said.
Despite these efforts, Mr Basideen said the sector continued to face major challenges, including limited access to funding, inadequate logistics and insufficient technical support.
He explained that these constraints were hampering the association’s ability to expand its outreach and implement impactful programmes across the country.
Mr Basideen, therefore, appealed to the Government of Ghana to prioritise indigenous poultry farming within its agricultural development agenda by providing financial support, policy backing and infrastructure to boost production.
He also urged NGOs and development partners to collaborate with the association to roll out training programmes, research initiatives and capacity-building projects for farmers.
In addition, he called on philanthropists and private sector players to invest in the indigenous poultry value chain, stressing that such support would not only yield economic returns but also contribute to national development by improving food security and reducing unemployment.
Mr Basideen expressed confidence that with the right support, indigenous poultry farming could grow into a major economic driver, providing sustainable livelihoods for thousands of Ghanaians while increasing the availability of locally produced, healthy poultry products.
He reaffirmed the association’s commitment to championing the growth of the sector and pledged to continue its advocacy and sensitisation efforts until local poultry becomes a dominant feature in Ghana’s food system and markets.
FROM YAHAYA NUHU NADAA, TAMALE
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