The Challenges and Prospects of the Commercial Poultry Industry in Ghana: A Synthesis of Literature

Abstract

Ghana’s poultry sector has been experiencing a steep decline since the year 2000. Many, if not all, the commercial poultry farms that were established in the late 1960s and early 1970s have collapsed and/or are on the verge of collapsing. Parliament passed a law to increase taxes on the importation of frozen chicken but that law has never been implemented due to pressures from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). This paper examined the challenges and prospects of the commercial poultry industry in Ghana. A synthesis of secondary data was sourced to assess the prevailing issues. It was concluded that the Government of Ghana should pass the law to increase taxes on the importation of frozen chicken; adopt policies to encourage SME financing in Ghana; develop proper training institutions for poultry farmers; encourage the consumption of local poultry products whiles the industry offer relevant training and live demonstration programmes for its members. Entrepreneurs must also address all the financial and managerial issues affecting the poultry industry in Ghana.