The Women in Poultry Value Chain (WIP VAC) has appealed to the government to construct ultra-modern chicken processing facilities across the country to help process locally produced birds.
Speaking at the Poultry Intensification Scheme programme held in Accra, the President of WIP VAC, Dr Victoria Afua Norgbey, said, “It is time for the nation to invest in the sector and support businesses in poultry production. We are expecting a processing unit where we will process our chicken and keep them in a cool house.
“We also need cool delivery vans to be able to deliver to restaurants because that's what they want. We have some markets that will not take the birds if they are not in a cool delivery van.
“We are expecting that we'll have a WIP VAC farm, WIP VAC processing unit, and WIP VAC-branded chicken, which will be all over the country and beyond,” she emphasised.
The programme, organised by the WIP VAC in collaboration with the West Africa Food Systems Resilience Programme (FSRP), provided free grilled chicken and fried yam to persons present at the event.
The event, which formed part of WIP VAC’s corporate social responsibility as it turns eight years, also aimed at promoting the production and consumption of locally produced poultry.
Mentorship, Investment
Dr Norgbey said the WIP VAC was ready to provide mentorship for young women who were interested in venturing into poultry farming.
She highlighted that although poultry farming was capital intensive, it held prospects and urged the youth to venture into the business to enable them to provide quality birds for the market and be more competitive against the frozen chicken from overseas.
The President of WIP VAC called on investors to offer competitive start-up capital to young people to motivate them in venturing into the poultry business.
Market accessibility
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture, John Dumelo, told the Daily Graphic that he would personally help the WIP VAC access the market for their poultry production.
He said the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) had received some proposals for ultra-modern processing facilities for poultry products.
As part of the Nkokonkitinkiti programme, Mr Dumelo emphasised that the ministry would pay attention to women interested in the poultry industry.
“I will ensure that when we start disbursing the day-old chicks and the feed, special fortune is given to women,” he stated.
The deputy minister urged poultry farmers to invest in the needed technologies and the right birds to upscale the poultry production to meet the demands of Ghanaians.
