'Christmas chicken' shortage looms as Imports delay; local poultry farmers overburdened

• The 2021 Christmas festivities risk being affected over a shortage of frozen chicken and other poultry products
• Most households would not be able to purchase chicken, as usual, to mark the festivities at home
• Local Ghanaian farmers also say it would be hard for them to meet the demands of Ghanaians these festivities

This year's Christmas and New Year festivities might be affected greatly if households do not get poultry products in their homes to make delicious meals.

A report filed by Graphic Business has revealed that for the first time in a long while, cold stores are unable to stock up chicken and other poultry proteins for sale ahead of the festivities.

Their inability follows a delay in poultry imports into the country from the United States of America (USA), Brazil, and the European Union (EU), as a result of disruptions to the global container shipping industry.

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According to the report, A market Intelligence carried out by the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) established that the situation had pushed orders meant to meet the festive occasion into the second week of January.

This, the CAG said has raised concerns over a looming shortage in poultry products which will have a huge implication on the price of poultry especially during the yuletide.

The CEO of CAG, Anthony Morrison said due to the delay of containers on international sea, Ghanaians were likely to experience a price hike in frozen chicken and other imported goods during Christmas.

Morrison expects that local poultry farmers will take advantage of the opportunity that will be created for the demand for frozen chicken.

He, however, urged the government to take the needed steps to protect domestic poultry production from foreign competition, if only the country sought to industrialize.

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What are poultry farmers saying?

The Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) said they were aware of the looming shortage but lack the capacity to fill in the gap created by the delay.

They said the time frame was too short for its members to salvage the situation, as it takes seven to eight weeks to produce birds for consumption.

The association further explained that due to the high cost of production, most of its members would not even be able to meet the 40 percent demand for locally produced birds.

Source: YEN.com.gh