In Ghanaian homes, chicken is a favourite at celebrations and Sunday lunches, and eggs are a daily staple. Much of the chicken eaten in Ghana, however, arrives frozen in containers from abroad. Local poultry farmers, many running small and medium farms, produce eggs and live birds but often struggle to compete on price. The industry has been the subject of government programmes, policy debates and complaints from farmers about feed prices and imports.
Farms, eggs, broilers and imports
Poultry farms range from small backyard operations to large commercial farms. Many are located around Accra, Kumasi and the Bono and Eastern regions. Local farms supply most of the eggs sold in Ghana. Egg prices have risen with feed costs and inflation. Broiler chickens are raised for meat, but local producers face strong competition from cheaper imported frozen chicken.
Ghana imports large amounts of frozen chicken, mainly from Europe, the Americas and elsewhere. Importers argue that this keeps prices affordable. Feed, made largely from maize and soya, is the biggest cost for farmers. When maize prices rise, poultry farms suffer.
Disease, processing and consumers
Outbreaks of bird flu have forced farmers to cull flocks, causing major losses. Governments have announced programmes to boost local poultry production and reduce imports, including support for farmers. A lack of processing plants and cold storage limits how much local chicken can reach supermarkets. The industry supports farmers, feed suppliers, traders and transporters. Many consumers prefer local chicken for its taste, but price often decides what they buy.
In northern Ghana, guinea fowl are raised widely and are an important source of income. Demand peaks at Christmas, Easter and Eid, when prices rise.
The future, small farmers and supermarkets
Farmers hope that investment in feed production and processing will help them compete. Many poultry farmers keep a few hundred birds and sell eggs to neighbours, shops and market traders. A single disease outbreak or a spike in feed prices can wipe out their savings. Supermarkets in Accra often stock imported frozen chicken because it arrives in consistent sizes and packaging, an advantage local producers struggle to match.
Ghana grows the maize its chickens eat and has the farmers to raise them. The frozen boxes stacked in cold stores show how much of the meat still comes from elsewhere.