Poultry farmers in A/R to petition Akufo-Addo over plans to replace eggs with ‘Chinese’ mackerel in schools

Some aggrieved poultry farmers in the Ashanti Region have revealed plans to petition President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo over an alleged intention by the National Food Buffer Stock Company to replace eggs provided by local poultry farmers to schools with mackerel imported from China.

According to the local poultry farmers, there are plans to substitute eggs with imported mackerels, a development they say will affect local farmers who have been supplying eggs to schools under the National Approved Menu of Senior High Schools.

The Ashanti Regional Chairman of Poultry Farmers Association, Boris Baidoo, in an interview with 3News, noted that plans are underway to petition the President as the new development will not “augur well for the poultry industry,” especially in this COVID-19 era.

“Whoever is bringing the decision we are pleading with the government that it should not be entertained,” said Mr Baidoo.

The Ashanti Regional Poultry Farmers Association has indicated plans to meet President Akufo-Addo on Friday, April 16, 2021, to table their grievance.

The Africa Education Watch, an Education Policy Research and Advocacy Organization, has also claimed that the National Food Buffer Stock Company have already increased the supply of Chinese imported mackerel which is gradually substituting eggs in the meals provided to SHS students following an order that came from Accra in January this year.

However, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Food Buffer Stock Company in a news conference on April 12, debunked these claims.

“There has not been any policy that compels SHSs not to buy eggs. The mackerel and eggs are not mutually exclusive. Schools can buy eggs if they so wish, in addition to the mackerel supplied by NAFCO,” said the CEO of the NAFCO, Alhaji Hanan Abdul-Wahab.