Local pig farmers are in danger of being driven out of business as the country officially opens its borders to many pork and meat products imported from the United States.
According to the market access report from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) has closed an agreement with the USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in which both parties agree to allow the product. to the Ghanaian market.
The report, which was made available to B&FT, indicated that ‘MoFA acknowledged receipt of FSIS export certificates’ for pork and pork products, and confirmed receipt, adding: “The Ghanaian market is now officially open for the export of US pork and other pork products other meat products from the United States”.
The agreement was reached as a result of the USDA’s FSIS request on October 24, 2022 for Ghana to import pork products into the country in large quantities.
The deal has raised concerns among stakeholders about possible spending and risks to local meat and cedi production. Livestock industry players are also worried about whether there will be a designated laboratory to check the health of incoming imports.
For example, the Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) has expressed concern over the deal, saying it is bad for local pigs and the economy in general.
“As of now, pig farmers find it difficult to maintain the industry due to high feed and operational costs, and now there is an unwanted advantage for American producers who have subsidies from their country as well as cheap technology to produce more,” he lamented. CEO of CAG, Anthony Selorm Morrison.
According to the report, the Chief Veterinary Officer of the Directorate of Veterinary Services MoFA signed and responded to the request on January 12, 2023 – that the country will not only accept pork products to the market but also other meat products including beef, sheep, lamb and poultry, among others .
Pork products have become the main delicacy for many Ghanaians in recent years, with several piggeries in the country, according to CAG, exporting the commodity to the Chinese market – the largest pork consumer in the world.
However, the CAG announced that the lack of data on the livestock industry, especially pork production, has become a major problem in the country: “The data will inform the government about the benefits we are doing, and whether we should import large quantities or rely on the government. to financing to expand production”.
The chamber was also concerned about the lack of consultation with stakeholders by the government before signing the pact.
Imported pork
Ghana’s imported pork and pork market is worth $16 million by 2021, according to the USDA.
Total imports have increased steadily since 2017, reaching 15,000 metric tons in 2021 as the market is dominated by the European Union, and the United States is not a significant player – not even among the country’s top ten importers.
But the USDA notes that opening the market for US pork and pork products is an opportunity that businesses from the country will exploit.
About 70,000 metric tons of pork and pork products have been imported into the country in the last six years – from 2017 to 2022 – according to Trade Data Monitor LLC, with the top ten countries being Belgium, Poland, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, England and France.
Source: B&FT
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