The government is exploring plans to process surplus eggs into powder and other value-added products to address recurring gluts in the poultry sector and minimise losses for farmers.

The initiative forms part of the proposed National Poultry Master Plan, which is aimed at stabilising prices, extending shelf life, reducing post-production losses, and creating new market opportunities across the poultry value chain.

Speaking during a stakeholder dialogue on the proposed plan, Chief Technical Advisor to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Kwesi Etu-Bonde, said the government is prioritising value addition and improved storage capacity.

“Eggs can be processed into powder, and that is part of the value addition we want the Poultry Master Plan to address,” he stated.

For years, industry players have raised concerns about periodic oversupply of eggs, which often forces farmers to sell at heavily discounted prices, resulting in significant financial losses.

Etu-Bonde noted that government support for maize and soybean production last year helped reduce feed prices, encouraging more people to venture into poultry farming.

“The egg glut has come to our attention. Last year, the ministry supported the production of grains such as maize and soybeans, which brought feed prices down. Consequently, more people have been incentivised to engage in poultry production,” he explained.

In addition, the government is leveraging the Ghana School Feeding Programme to help absorb part of the excess supply.

“The President has instructed that the School Feeding Programme should purchase eggs from the market as part of efforts to support poultry farmers,” he added.

According to Etu-Bonde, the proposed National Poultry Master Plan will outline long-term measures to strengthen the poultry value chain, expand processing capacity, and mitigate the effects of recurring production gluts across the country.

NAD/MA

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