Ashanti Regional Chairman of Poultry Farmers Association, Dr. Boris Baidoo Advocates A Cut In Poultry Importation.

The Christmas and New Year festivities, the Chairman of the Ashanti Regional Poultry Farmers Association, Dr Boris Baidoo, has advocated a deliberate cut in poultry importation to cushion the local industry.

He urged the government to put measures in place to make all poultry importers procure 40 per cent of the local production before they are allowed to bring the remaining 60 per cent into the country.

He told the Ghanaian Times in an interview on Friday that beyond the yuletide, the policy,  if implemented, would help the local poultry industry to expand and create jobs for the youth, thereby reducing unemployment in the country.

“This is what is going to help our industry. The local industry is collapsing. But we have the capacity to produce quality and healthy chicken if supported,” said the entrepreneur, who is the founder of the Boris B’s Group of Companies and Chief Executive Officer of Boris B’s Farms and Veterinary Supplies.

Dr Baidoo spoke on the sidelines of the 33rd Nobles Forum Dinner Dance /Awards organized by the West Africa Nobles Forum (WANF), on Friday in Accra, where he was honoured for being a powerhouse in the poultry sector.
He was among 20 personalities from varied backgrounds who were recognised with plaques and citations by the non-partisan, non-religious or non-governmental group.

“If you look at the volumes of chicken coming into the country, they are about 600,000metric tons and that is really a lot. If we cut it to maybe half or one-third of it, do you know how many jobs that will create for the youth; and the millions of cedis that would be retained in the country? It will help grow the economy” he said.

Dr Boris said his company had, so far, employed about 230 people at its head office in Kumasi and other branches nationwide with franchises in neighbouring countries and it could employ more if given the needed support to expand.

While lauding the government for subsidising fertilizer for maize cultivation, he said it needed to take a holistic view of the complete feed package because other raw materials like soya beans, cottonseed, concentrates were used to prepare the poultry feed.

He also urged the government and financial institutions to provide credit facilities to help the sector to expand and thanked the WANF for the recognition.