Project on alternative ingredients for animal feed production underway
Scientists from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Animal Research Institute (ARI) have begun a project to explore the use of alternative ingredients for the production of animal feed in the country.
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The move supported by the Korea Partnership for Innovation of Agriculture (KOPIA) is to help reduce the heavy dependence on maize and soya beans which limits supplies, particularly in times of drought and creates enormous challenges for the poultry industry in particular.
This comes at a time when the country is grappling with drought which has affected maize production in particular and the poultry industry as a whole.
A senior research scientist at the Animal Research Institute (ARI) of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Vida K. Lamptey, explained that the project, scheduled to last three years, was currently in the first year with research and testing in progress.
“We are actively working on reducing our reliance on maize, soya and fish in animal feed by exploring alternative ingredients. This initiative, which began recently, aims to identify substitutes that can replace maize in the animal diet, particularly during shortages.
At present, we've identified one or two potential ingredients, but we're still searching for more options. Once we gather these alternatives, we’ll analyse their nutrient content to ensure they can effectively replace maize,” she said.
Mrs Lamptey, who disclosed this in an interview with Daily Graphic, said it was crucial to compare the nutritional value of the original and replacement ingredients before making any changes.
Therefore, she said, after identifying potential substitutes, the ARI would conduct on-field experiments with animals at the institute to evaluate their effectiveness.
Impact of drought
Ghana's feed milling industry struggles to maintain production capacity due to severe shortages and soaring prices of essential raw materials, particularly maize.
From about 1,000 metric tonnes, the production capacity has dipped to about 700 metric tonnes.
The ongoing drought has compounded the issue, driving maize prices up by 80% in just eight months.
The Association of Feed Millers of Ghana (AFMOG), said the industry relies heavily on maize (50-55 per cent) and soya beans (30 per cent) for feed production.
However, the drought has led to raw material unavailability, resulting in steep price hikes.
Maize prices have escalated from GH¢200 per 50 kg bag in January to around GH¢360 per bag currently. This volatility has forced the association to reject orders and drastically cut down production.
Import
Meanwhile, the Executive Secretary of the Ghana Poultry Farmers Association (GPFA), Lawrence A. Tetteh, called on the government to issue a maize import permit to enable members to import the needed quantities of the grain to make up for the shortfall in the country.
“Ghana has never built its capacity in maize production. It will be good if we put in measures to build our capacity progressively but as it stands now, we have not gotten there yet, so in anticipation of a shortage of any of these commodities, it will be prudent that the government issues a permit to members to import to make up for the shortfall.
Once that happens, those who are hoarding the maize will be compelled to release them and ensure that producers don’t take advantage of buyers,” he said.