Egg sellers in Accra say rising chicken feed costs are negating the benefits of record-high production, keeping prices high despite what farmers call a glut.
At the Lapaz and Mallam marketplaces, vendors argue that high input prices continue to compress profits, with crates of eggs selling for GHC 65 to GHC 70.
This is far over the GHC 40 price from previous years.
Elizabeth Nuertey, a trader at Lapaz, told Citi Business News that lower feed prices are critical to expanding sales and maintaining demand.
“Farmers also depend on eggs to feed their birds. If sales are low, we as traders won’t have enough money to buy more eggs, which in turn affects farmers who rely on those sales to purchase feed. We therefore urge the authorities to intervene and help reduce the cost of poultry feed. This would enable farmers to lower prices for us.”
“When I started this business as a wholesaler, a crate of eggs cost GHC 55. At the farm gate, we usually add only GHC 2 as profit, plus transportation costs. For direct consumers, a crate sells for about GHC 60,” she stated.
While some traders believe the market is slowing due to lackluster sales rather than overstock.
“There is no glut in egg production. The real issue is that sales are discouraging, and it’s only by the grace of God that we are able to sell at all. Prices are very high now—a crate of eggs costs between GHC 65 and GHC 70. In previous years, we used to sell a crate for about GHC 40, but that is no longer the case,” said Sarah Tetteh, a Mallam market seller.
The CEO of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Ali Muhammed, disclosed that farmgate egg prices have actually declined. He asked traders to guarantee that the savings are passed on to customers.
“We try to sensitise those who pick eggs from the farm gate to adjust their pricing, but post-market surveys show they are not responding. It’s taking a toll because farmers are realising that patronage has fallen. The challenge is compounded by poor storage facilities, especially among local farmers,” he reiterated.
Source: newsthemegh.com