The Government of Ghana is considering plans to process excess eggs into powder and other alternative products as part of efforts to address recurring oversupply challenges within the poultry sector and reduce financial losses suffered by farmers.
The initiative forms part of a broader national poultry master plan designed to strengthen the poultry value chain, improve storage capacity and create sustainable market opportunities for producers.
Speaking after a stakeholder dialogue on the proposed poultry master plan, Chief Technical Advisor to the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Kwesi Etu-Bonde, said government is placing greater emphasis on value addition to help stabilise the market.
“Eggs can be processed into powder, and that is part of the value addition we want the poultry master plan to address,” he stated.
Rising Production Leads to Oversupply Concerns
Poultry farmers in Ghana have repeatedly raised concerns over periodic egg gluts, which often force producers to sell below cost due to weak demand and limited storage options.
According to Mr Etu-Bonde, recent government interventions to support the cultivation of maize and soya beans have significantly reduced feed costs, encouraging increased poultry production nationwide.
“The egg glut has come to our attention. Last year, the ministry supported the production of grains such as maize and soya, and that has brought feed prices down.” - Mr Etu-Bonde
“As a result, more people have been incentivised to go into poultry production,” he added. Industry stakeholders say while lower feed costs have boosted production, the lack of processing facilities and market expansion strategies continues to expose farmers to losses during periods of oversupply.
School Feeding Programme to Support Farmers
As part of immediate interventions to absorb excess eggs from the market, government is also leveraging the national School Feeding Programme to support local poultry farmers.
Mr Etu-Bonde disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama has directed the programme to purchase eggs directly from producers.
“The President has instructed that the School Feeding Programme should purchase eggs from the market as part of the effort to support poultry farmers.” - Mr Etu-Bonde
Government officials say the proposed poultry master plan will provide long-term solutions aimed at improving processing capacity, reducing post-production losses and strengthening the resilience of Ghana’s poultry industry against future market shocks.
READ ALSO: Trump Rejects Iran Proposal as Oil Prices Surge Over Strait of Hormuz Crisis
