By Ohenenana Kofinipa
A Dutch businessman has called on African governments not to waste their resources on poultry production because they have no competitive advantage in the sector.
The businessman, Mr Nico Van Staalduinen, managing director of the Ghana-Netherlands Chamber of Commerce (GHANECC), said the conditions in Africa do not favour poultry production and urged the governments to focus on such areas as rice production, among other things, where it had the competitive edge.
Making a contribution at a Corporate Breakfast Meeting in Accra he categorically called on the Ghana governments to stop investing in the production of poultry, explaining that the high temperatures, the high cost of poultry feed and frequent outbreak of bird flu made it non-profitable for Africa to undertake commercial rearing of the birds.
Ghana spends over $350 million annually on poultry imports, mostly from Holland, and is currently putting together a GHc50 million package to revive its ailing poultry industry
But the Dutchman’s assertion was vehemently opposed by a renowned film producer, Mr Kow Ansah, who wondered whether Mr Staalduinen had conducted any studies to arrive at his conclusion.
He cited the early 80s and 90s when Ghana had many poultry farmers who produced on a large scale to meet local demand and for export.
“We have done it before and we can still do it; We do not need you to come tell us what we are competitive in or not; the examples of Darko Farms and Afariwa farms are there to show”, he argued fiercely to an extent that the moderator for the function had to step in to calm tempers.
Obviously the Dutchman fears the Ghana government’s proposed GHc50 million package for poultry farmers could lead to a cut in the volume of poultry imports with loss of jobs for his compatriots in Netherlands.
The funding is expected to resuscitate dying companies, start new businesses, as well as set up small scale processing plants to process the birds for the local market.
The outgoing Minister of Trade and Industry, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, had met with the members of the poultry association to assure them of the government’s support to restore the fortunes of the poultry sector.
Giants in the industry such as Afariwa Farms and Darko Farms, which combined with many others, supplied to meet local demand and for exports, have both collapsed, leaving a few still in operation.
But Van Staalduinen is unrelelenting in his advocacy: “Technically, Ghana can produce chicken but Ghana can ever hardly be competitive in the growth of chicken because the varieties of chickens that are preferred at the global market today are not favourable in Ghana because of the weather. Unless Ghana considers starting from the scratch to develop a good variety of chicken that will do well in Ghana, it will be uncompetitive to engage in commercial poultry production” he explained.
While admitting that government’s efforts at reviving the poultry industry was also supported by the Netherlands government, the CEO of the GHANECC said it did not take out the fact that Ghana’s present circumstances made it uncompetitive in the commercial poultry business.