Ghana to reduce milk imports

Even though Ghana consumes on the average 1.5 litres or a mere 2 percent of the FAO recommended 73 litres of milk way below the African average of 22 litres per anum, it has become increasingly clear that Ghana may have to reduce her milk imports and rely on domestic supplies as a result of the rising price of milk on the international market.

Presently, the demand for milk and milk products in Ghana far exceeds local production resulting in a huge deficit each year that has to be met by importation.In 1997-1999,the recorded imports of diary productsincreased from 1,800 to 14,500 metric tones while 10,800 metric tons valued at two million cedis was imported to supplement 27,000 tons local production.

The price of milk on the international market has risen as a result of the cut back on milk production and removal of subsidies by exporting countries as an attempt to eliminate surpluses. Neighbour, Cote d’Ivoire, consume 10.2 litres per annum while Kenya does over 80 litres.

Problem however is that patronage of our locally produced milk is even poorer because of doubts on the hygienic level of these products. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Tehnology (KNUST) in Kumasi in collaboration with DFID of the United Kindom, ILRI of Kenya NRI,CSIR,Animal Research Institute in Accra and Sokoine University of Agriculture in Tanzania, have therefore initiated a study 3 years ago at a cost of 40,000 pounds, to address the problems of milk processing, marketing and public health risks inherent in the domestic production of milk and other diary products.

According to Dr.E .L.K.Osafo of the KNUST, the project is aimed at raising public interst in the Peri-Urban smallholder dairy system. The minister for Food and Agriculture, Major Courage Quashigah(rtd), told the Network Herald that a 24 million dollar project set up by his ministry will feature milk very prominently.