Chicken wings,
AGI Raises Red Flag On Importation Of Frozen Chicken Into Ghana
Records from the Association of Ghana Industries-Agriculture Sector show that imported frozen chicken and other animal products are stored for at least three years before reaching target markets in Africa, notably Ghana.
Fatima Alimohamed, vice chair of the AGI-Agriculture Sector, told B&FT that the situation is critical and that Ghana must act fast to stop the escalating importation of meat and poultry items onto the local market that are likely cancer-infested
The Association’s trade data also demonstrates that monthly imports of frozen chicken and other meat have increased significantly, jumping from 2.8 million kilograms in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 3.4 million kilograms (kg).
“This imported meat and chicken were slaughtered years back. They were not killed last month and shipped here the following month. Most have been injected for preservation purposes, and the likelihood of dire health implications are high – including cancer, which is on the rise in Ghana,” Ms. Alimohamed said.
She reiterated the need for government and private sector players to embark on localisation of food – especially in the chicken and meat subsector and other essential food items; including milk products, which have a high import bill.
Rising imports of chicken
Statistics from the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) have revealed that more than 600,000 tonnes of frozen chicken were imported into the country in 2021.
The data, which is sourced from the European Union (EU), indicated that approximately US$600million worth of chicken was imported into the country last year from the EU.
This development, according to the GNAPF, has left the local poultry industry with two percent of the market share of chicken – which is controlled by imports with 98 percent.
Dumping is a problem
Speaking at a consultative meeting in August this year between the Ghana International Trade Commission (GITC) and stakeholders in the poultry value chain in Accra, president of GNAPF, Victor Oppong Adjei, said the challenge is a worrying one.
The consultative meeting was held after B&FT published a story with the headline ‘Suspected dumping hits poultry sector’, with data from the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana.
Data from the GNAPF established that the US and Brazil are the two leading exporters of chicken to Ghana, while the EU is the third.
Last year, the EU – which is the third-highest exporter – sent over 227,000 tonnes to the country; while the US and Brazil exported figures more than double those of the EU.
