Poultry Farmers in Ashanti Region Announce Price Increase for Chicken and Eggs Ahead of Christmas
Farmers urge government intervention to reduce feed prices and taxes as industry faces mounting financial pressure.
- The price of essential ingredients like maize, wheat bran, and soybeans has risen sharply
- Heavy taxes on imported feed ingredients are making it difficult for local farmers to compete with cheaper foreign imports
- Farmers are requesting the government reduce taxes
Poultry farmers in the Ashanti Region are sounding the alarm about escalating production costs, with a price increase for chicken and eggs expected ahead of the 2024 Christmas season.
The surge in prices is attributed to the rising cost of poultry feed, which has become a significant financial burden due to both soaring prices and heavy taxes on crucial feed ingredients.
Mr. Dickson Kwame Owusu, the farm manager of DKO Farms in Sehwi, Bekwai Municipality, emphasized that the sharp rise in poultry feed costs is threatening the viability of many local farms.
He explained that the prices of essential feed ingredients, including maize, wheat bran, and soybeans, have skyrocketed, making it increasingly difficult for farmers to maintain their operations.
Additionally, taxes on imported feed ingredients are exacerbating the issue, leaving local farmers unable to compete with cheaper foreign imports.
“The rising feed costs are already overwhelming us, and the added taxes on imported ingredients are making it harder to compete with cheaper imports,” said Mr. Owusu. He appealed to the government for immediate intervention, urging the reduction of taxes on essential feed ingredients to lower production costs and help safeguard the future of local poultry farming.
As the Christmas season approaches and consumer demand rises, poultry farmers are calling on the government to take swift action to ensure that the industry survives these mounting challenges.
