The import substituted poultry industry; evidence from Ghana

Rapid growth in Ghana's poultry imports revealed the weaknesses of the domestic industry in competing with imported products. Establishment of an intensive poultry system as a benchmark for examining the performance poultry production and marketing in addition to interviews with poultry stakeholders revealed the constraints in the poultry industry in Ghana. Results emphasized that Feed Conversion Rate is a major factor in reducing production cost and improving the broilers growth efficiency. The BNARI feed conversion rate for the broiler is 1.56 Kilogram of feed needed to produce 1 kg live weight compared to 2.12 kg of feed to produce 1 kg live weight by other poultry farmers engaged in the study. Feed costs represent more than 70% of the total cost of broilers production, and feed utilization efficiency, are critical for the growth rate of broilers. A major constraint is the lack of protection on the infant poultry industry by the Ghana government leading to unfair competition with cheap imported poultry products, which is 30-40 percent cheaper and undermines the growth of the local industry. Other constraints are high feed cost, high chick mortality as a result electricity power outage for brooding, feed and water contamination and consumer preference for imported poultry meat. There is still 74% demand market share to be fulfilled. The Ghana poultry industry is insecure because poultry farms are collapsing faster than new farms are being established or old farms are being expanded. There is a need for serious intervention by the government through policies and enforcements to reverse this trend.