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The initial batch of broiler poultry from the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) under the Ministry of Food & Agriculture (MoFA) is now ready for the market, according to Project Coordinator ,Mr.Osei Owusu Agyeman.
The broilers have reached their maturity age of seven weeks, with an average live weight of between 2.9 and 3 kilos. They are prepared for processing into whole chickens and cut parts for packaging and sale.
Mr Agyeman emphasized the importance of farmers leveraging this opportunity to engage viable offtakers, such as fast-food restaurants and shopping malls, to strengthen marketing channels. “Public-private engagement is a key theme of the project, advocating that the private sector is best suited to drive government policy,” he stated.
He highlighted the role of restaurants and shopping malls in providing and stocking the processed poultry for consumers. Fast-food chains like KFC and Papaye demand dressed chicken weighing between 1.1 and 1.3 kg, typically achieved between 4 and 5 weeks old, with an average live weight of 1.7 to 2.0 kg. The FSRP-MoFA’s locally produced poultry meets these specifications, ensuring consumers can access homegrown, hygienically processed, fresh, and nutritious broiler chicken in malls, restaurants, and processing facilities.
The FSRP Poultry Intensification Scheme, which started in June under the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, ensures quality control. An FSRP monitoring team, including officials from the Animal Production Directorate (APD), Veterinary Services Dept (VSD), and FSRP, visited poultry farms and processing facilities in the Ashanti Region to verify adherence to industrial standards, such as feed quality, vaccinations, biosecurity requirements, required weights, and general bird healthcare.
Facilities inspected included Rockland Farms (Akoko Tasty Chicken producers), Asamoah and Yamoah Farms (Gold Birds producers), Darko Farms (Darko Farms Chicken producers), and Boris B Farms (Boris B Chicken producers). Processing methods varied, with Rockland Farms using semi-automated methods and Darko Farms and Asamoah & Yamoah Farms employing fully automated methods, including slaughtering, dressing, cutting, packaging, blast-freezing, and transportation.
The FSRP Poultry Intensification Scheme has also been implemented in the Eastern Region (Fredna Farms), Central Region (Judahson Farms), and Greater Accra Region (Pap Farms). Anchor farmers in the Bono and other regions are expected to join next month.
This scheme is funded by the World Bank and is being implemented in phases. Each beneficiary receives input credit, including approximately 160,000 day-old chicks, 180,000 kilograms of feed, and vaccines. Beneficiaries also receive training in best modern practices and climate-smart technologies within the poultry industry, and they can access matching grants to procure equipment supporting post-production processing and cold storage.
The scheme aims to produce approximately two million broiler birds annually, under a US$12.5 million World Bank facility. It supports 18 commercial anchor farmers and their outgrowers nationwide, facilitating the production, processing, and marketing of two million birds annually over the next three years.
In Ghana, the FSRP is implemented by the Ministry of Food & Agriculture, focusing on the intensified production, marketing, and consumption of wholesome rice, maize, broiler poultry, soybeans, and tomatoes.
