Liberia: Local Poultry Farmers Want Empowerment
By Claudius T. Greene Jr. & Judoemue M. Kollie
Amidst the importation of poultry products in Liberia, local poultry farmers have expressed interest to supply the market and have called on the government for more investment in the country’s poultry industry.
Joseph N. Kodah, Administrator of the Poultry Farmers Association of Liberia (POFAL), said local poultry farmers have the potential to supply the market.
“There is a need for the government to empower local poultry farmers to reduce the level of poultry products imported in the country,” he mentioned.
Liberia still largely depends on foreign countries for poultry products. The poultry industry faces numerous challenges such as the limited access to feed and drugs, lack of or limited veterinarians and among others.
Kodah said those challenges will be overcome, provided the government pays more attention to the sector.
“We can help to minimize the cost of the feed by growing more of it here in Liberia. It is costing us a lot of money just to import feed, whereby we can produce more. The minimum price you get for feed outside the country is US$45 for a 50kg bag. Some people are even selling it for US$60 per 50kg bag. This is posing a serious problem for our businesses, Kodah told our reporter.
Kodah expressed the belief that poultry meat coming into the country most times doesn’t seem to be healthy for consumption.
“We have discovered that those who are in the business of importing poultry products don’t usually consume them. We the local farmers are producing products that are organic and the importers of poultry are often interested in buying from us,” he said.
The Liberian poultry administrator and the poultry sector could empower a lot of Liberians for jobs.
“Many Liberians may be interested in entering into the industry. This industry is a very lucrative industry and is very attractive for the youth and the women,” he added.
Kodah further said local farmers are still importing day-old chicks (DOC) for their businesses.
In a related development, the Daily Observer has learnt that local poultry farmers have begun receiving support from the Ministry of Agriculture Rural Economy Transformation Project (RETRAP).
RETRAP is a World Bank funded project that seeks to improve cassava, rubber, poultry and piggery value chains.
Recently, POFAL signed an MOU with the RETRAP project for assistance to local poultry farmers.
Poultry farmers are expected to benefit from inputs and grants to enable them to expand their businesses.
Stakeholders of the sector have warmly welcomed the development and have expressed the hope that their partnership with the Ministry will reap greater results.
“Congratulations, this is a significant achievement. But while we celebrate this achievement as a milestone, the poultry sector will not develop until the challenges are adequately addressed, Tornorlah Varpilah, a prominent poultry farmer in Bong County, said on a local social media stakeholders platform.