The GNAPF warned that such a decision by the government is likely to collapse poultry businesses across the country.
The Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) has warned the government against replacing eggs with Chinese mackerels for students under the School Feeding Programme.
Gov’t planning to replace eggs with Chinese mackerel for students – GNAPF
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President of the Association, Victor Oppong Adjei, said they’ve learnt of plans by the government to substitute eggs with mackerels for students.
A crate of eggs
Pulse Ghana
“The supply of eggs to schools was helping the poultry industry. But we’re hearing of the importation of mackerel to substitute the eggs, which is very unfortunate,” he fumed, as quoted by Starrfm.com.gh.
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“The nutrients in eggs help the brains so you can’t compare mackerels to them. There was no agreement but gov’t said eggs should be added to the school feeding program. It was last week we heard that the eggs are being substituted with mackerel. Which is unfortunate.”
In recent months, the rising cost of poultry feed has led to an increase in the prices of eggs across the country.
Egg prices have gone up by 50% in the last two months in the Bono Region, which is one of the hubs for the production of eggs.
A crate of egg which used to cost between GH¢13 and GH¢18 in November now sells for between GH¢20 and GH¢25.
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Earlier in the year, there was an uproar on social media as some Ghanaians complained about the cost of boiled and fried eggs.
Mr. Oppong Adjei cautioned that cutting the consumption of eggs in schools will not only destroy the poultry industry but will also deny students some nutritional gains.
“As we speak now farmers are selling their birds prematurely and if we don’t take care, it’s going to collapse the poultry industry.
“People have been saying eggs are not good but you can take 2 to 3 eggs a day which is still good for you. Eggs have good cholesterol so we are doing much education on it,” the GNAPF President added.
