4.5 million chickens ready for Christmas - Food and Agric Minister

The Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, has said a total of 4.5 million locally produced chickens were ready for Ghanaians usage this yuletide.

According to him, vaccines and starter pack feeds have been given to farmers.

Speaking at the ministry’s enclave in Accra during a visit by the Minister of Finance, Ken Ofori-Atta, Bryan Acheampong noted that Ghana consumes about 324,000 metric tons of chicken. However, only 15,000 metric tons were produced.

The Minister of Food and Agriculture said government was looking at boosting the local production to about 35,000 metric tons.

“So if you look at our five-year food security plan, we are moving poultry from 15,000 metric tons to 23,000 metric tons, to 75,000 metric tons, to 150,000 metric tons, to 275,000 and then to 344,000 by the end of 2028”, he stated.

Touching on vegetable production, Bryan Acheampong said plans were underway to stop the importation of some vegetables especially onions and tomatoes.

According to report, Ghana produces only 36% of tomatoes and 29% of onions consumed locally.

“Even though we have a five-year plan for tomatoes, which we are producing 36% of what we consume and onion about 29%, it is also very, very annoying that we, as Ghanaians, have to import tomatoes and onions from half desert soils," he said.

Bryan Acheampong added that, " And so we want to eliminate that embarrassment within two to three years even though the plan, as we have documented, is five years. We want to make sure that within three years we are out of our tomato and onion embarrassment".

SA/NOQ

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