The Executive Director of Africa Education Watch, Kofi Asare, has expressed his sentiment regarding some policies the government has taken at the detriment of small scale enterprises and indigenous entrepreneurs in the country.
According to him, farmers invested heavily in poultry farm when students were consuming at least 3eggs a week.
“Before COVID-19, schools were doing at least 3 eggs a week. This translated into 150,000 crates/week (about 3.6 million pieces of eggs). So poultry farmers invested in more layers to sustain the demand from SHS, while it created jobs and income for many”, he said.
However, government has signed a contract with a Chinese firm, Lamens Ventures, to import Chinese mackerel into our various Senior High Schools (SHSs). The demand for eggs has been reduced drastically due to the substitute of eggs for Chinese Mackerel and other external shocks.
“This reduced the demand for eggs by 70%, and coupled with supply chain disruptions of COVID-19, forced many poultry farmers who had invested in Layers to shutting down and lay off labour. The increase in the price of maize only nailed the coffin”, he said.
He further stated that this situation has worsen the plight of poultry farmers in Ghana, especially those in Ashanti Region, the hub in poultry products.
Therefore, government should do something about it in order to relieve already stretched entrepreneurs from suffering.
“Dear Excellency Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, some of your policy decisions are now creating unemployment and poverty, eroding your own achievements, especially in your World Bank Ashanti, the HQ of Ghana Poultry”, he said.
He wrote this on his Facebook page today.
