Poultry products being imported from Ivory Coast despite ban

Sunyani, Aug. 12, GNA - Some individuals are thwarting efforts to prevent the outbreak of bird flu in the country by importing eggs from the Ivory Coast even though there is a ban on poultry and related products from that country following an outbreak of the disease there. Mr. Kwabena Asamoah-Asare, Chairman of Dormaa Ahenkro Poultry Farmers Association told a meeting of the newly constituted Poultry Development Board with poultry farmers in Brong Ahafo that some "unscrupulous" traders were importing large quantities of eggs through unapproved routes.

Mr Asamoah-Asare expressed the fears that the practice would not only cripple the poultry business but it could also lead to an outbreak of the deadly disease in Ghana.

He therefore called on the government, the Dormaa District task force and the security agencies to scale up their monitoring system at the frontiers in order to check the importation of poultry products from banned sources.

Mrs Kumi Yeboah, a poultry farmer in Sunyani told the Ghana News Agency that some feed suppliers were selling fish at exorbitant prices, while eggs prices remained relatively low and that if the problem was not checked it could collapse the poultry industry. She said her company incurred a debt of 70 million cedis due to low patronage of products as a result of the outbreak of the disease in nearby countries.

Some members of the association concern about the poor quality of day-old chicks as well as difficulty in getting assistance from veterinary officers, adding that sometimes, the feed sold to them bore no label to indicate its composition. The feed also weighs less than the standard weight inscribed on it, they said, adding, they also found it difficult obtaining loans for their business.

They pledged their maximum support for the board but appealed to it to put the right structures in place to ensure the sustainability of the industry.

Reverend Dr Kwabena Darko, Chairman of the Board, said the meeting was to enable his side to interact with members of the association on the challenges in industry and assured them that the necessary steps would be taken to address them. He advised the farmers to be united so they could fight on a common front to sustain the industry.