Beyond poultry production in Ghana
This article is intended to be my contribution to the “Poultry Industry Debate”, as captioned in the editorial of the GRAPHIC BUSINESS, No. 299 of Tuesday, July 22 – Monday, July 28, 2014, page 3.
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The said editorial is a not-so-veiled acceptance of the arguments and conclusion that inform the suggestion and forceful advice of Mr Nico Van Staalduinen for the Government of Ghana to desist from investing public funds in supporting poultry production in Ghana.
The background of Mr Staalduinen and the occasion for his theoretical postulation are provided by the paper under reference; but I am rather interested in the theoretical assumptions that inform the basis of his reasoning and conclusions.
Mr Staalduinen cited four main reasons to support his argument that Ghana lacked competitive advantage for the production of poultry. These are: temperatures in the country are high; high cost of poultry feed; frequent outbreak of bird flu; and the re-financing initiative is destined to be a repeat of past failed efforts.
The above reasons, in their entirety, are characterised by sweeping generalisations that lack scientific validity.
To start with the first reason, there is no scientific data to support the view that temperatures are uniformly high throughout the country, all year round. Certainly, temperatures in the Western Region, for example, with a relatively higher and more frequent rainfall pattern, may differ from temperature readings in the northern zone.
As for the high cost of feed, there can be a turn-around, as production management practices improve and become more efficient, and technological capabilities are deployed to complement resource availability. And whether we produce rice, maize or both and more, increased productivity can reduce the cost of feed.
Likewise, the occurrence of diseases of epidemic proportions, such as bird flu, poses a challenge, but the challenge is not unsurmountable and it should not be cited as reason for any forceful advice for the government’s disinvestment in poultry production.
The fourth and last reason, which is based on the past experience of failure, suffers from a serious logical flaw: the fact of failure in an enterprise yesterday cannot provide logical assurance of failure tomorrow, unless we hold on to the belief that the factors of failure yesterday will not, and cannot, be changed by any variable intervention such as massive and adequate reinvestment by the government to support poultry production.
Now, poultry production holds more prospects for our socio-economic development than just the production of table eggs and meat, with the attendant savings on imports of poultry products.
Hitherto, poultry feathers have been treated as waste just as cattle and other livestock hairs are burnt away to zero value.
However, there is technology available in the market place that converts poultry feathers and other livestock waste into protein oil for the production of toilet soaps and other detergents. This line of production opens up a new area for the development of poultry production.
To ensure sustainability or self-sustained growth, the production process must be extended to the conversion of sea water or brine (which is abundant in Ghana, from Aflao to Half Assini) into caustic soda and its by-product, the otherwise deadly chlorine, which can be trapped and packaged safely, for subsequent sale to the Ghana Water Company, for the purification of drinking water.
The establishment of the production linkages set out above will set in motion developments that will positively impact on our economy: reduction of imports; improvements in balance of payments, stability of the currency, stabilisation of prices of goods and their availability, job openings and opportunity for youth employment, and the well-being of the generality of Ghanaians.
The foregoing is an indication of one line of challenges and opportunities that exist for growing our economy in the poultry industry. There are other lines of production linkages but their definition does not lie here, in this write-up.
For now, the focus is on the poultry industry debate, as highlighted by the Graphic Business, the weekly financial newspaper in the Graphic Communications Group Limited newspaper stable.
In contributing to this debate, I have sought to set out the practical and technical opportunities and possibilities that exist, beyond poultry production. But this write-up is certainly not exhaustive; and many themes can be elaborated upon, including the development of business plans that can support the various production linkages defined herein.
The scope of the arguments presented by Mr Nico Van Staalduinen, in support of his categorical call on government for disinvestment in poultry production, does not present a holistic picture of the opportunities and possibilities that exist in the poultry industry. Therefore, the call for a debate comes from the blind side of inadequate knowledge of the full ramifications of the subject and its correlates. And I am sure, with a holistic perspective, the Graphic Business would not fall, hook and sinker, for Mr Staalduinen’s theoretical postulation.
I have more to contribute to this debate, but the present contribution may suffice for now. GB
B. K. ASSUON
e-mail: bkassuon@yahoo.com
P. O. Box AA57
Agona Nkwanta
Ahanta-West District, W/R
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