Ghana exporting eggs to Burkina Faso amid local surplus – Agric Minister

Ghana's Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has announced the country's initiation of egg exports to Burkina Faso due to a persistent surplus in domestic egg production. This move was prompted by President John Mahama's directives to Opoku and the Minister for Trade to secure access to Burkina Faso's market. During negotiations, over 20 trucks laden with eggs were found at the border, with clearance granted for their entry into Burkina Faso.

Despite the success of these initial exports, the Minister acknowledged that they were insufficient to fully address the surplus, hence the government's intention to broaden the domestic market. Opoku is collaborating with the Minister for Education to integrate eggs into school meals under the School Feeding Programme.

During a visit to a construction site for a poultry, meat and feed processing facility in Bechem, Ahafo region, Opoku unveiled a project with a capacity to process 6,000 birds per hour, divided into two lines - one for broilers and another for layers. To ensure a consistent supply of birds, he outlined plans to sign contracts with poultry farmers in the Ashanti, Upper East, and surrounding areas. The factory will also house three cold rooms, a feed mill, and a hatchery to enhance production and sustainability.

The hatchery will produce birds for distribution to farmers, who will subsequently supply the processing facility. To support the distribution of the factory's branded and packaged products, two trucks have been procured. As of now, the project is around 50% complete, with all outstanding payments made despite previous delays. Opoku stated that the facility is expected to be operational by the end of the first quarter of 2027.