Poultry prices are expected to jump by at least 15 percent before Christmas, according to the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, which blames the hike on soaring feed costs and expensive imported inputs.
Chief Executive Mohammed Ali says the rising cost of maize, soya and other feed ingredients, combined with higher freight charges, has made it nearly impossible for farmers to hold prices steady.
"Maybe not less than 15 per cent, we must see some price change," he said during an outreach event in Dansoman to mark World Egg Day.
Ali explained that most poultry feed ingredients come from abroad, which means local farmers absorb every shock from international price swings and shipping costs. His solution is blunt. Ghana needs to grow more of its own maize and soya.
"When we are able to have an abundance locally, the feed price will surely come down. But without them, we can't do anything about poultry feed," he said.
Egg Prices Under Scrutiny
The association is also pushing back against what it calls excessive markups in the egg trade.
Ali pointed to a troubling gap between what farmers earn at the farm gate and what consumers eventually pay, alleging some retailers tack on as much as GH¢20 per crate.
With farm-gate prices sitting between GH¢40 and GH¢45, Ali insists retail prices have no business climbing past GH¢50.
"We don't expect an egg to go beyond 50 cedis. Take or leave," he said, calling on the Ministry of Trade and Agribusiness to step in and bring order to the market.
Teaching Kids to Eat Eggs
Beyond pricing concerns, the association used World Egg Day to reach five school clusters in Dansoman, distributing over 100,000 eggs while teaching pupils about the nutritional value of eggs.
Ali emphasized why the campaign targets children early. "Eggs have some special protein content for every child from zero to, say, eight that they need. And we want to inculcate this habit into their meals, for daily meals, consumption of eggs," he said.
He also wants the Nkokor Nkitinkiti initiative expanded, arguing that supporting larger-scale farmers would have a bigger ripple effect on supply and pricing across the entire market.
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