The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association has cautioned that poultry prices may rise slightly as feed costs, freight charges and expensive imported additives climb. Chief Executive Officer Ali Mohammed told Citi Business News that the trend of increasing maize, soya and other feed ingredients, coupled with higher shipping costs and foreign exchange pressures, could force some farmers to adjust their prices upwards.
"If the trend of the major input continues to go up, likewise the additives which are all imported, because the forex is not coming down and knowing a festivity season is coming, dollar will not come down, freight costs are going up, certainly we may see some slight adjustment of poultry products, prices upwards," Mohammed said.
He warned against projecting a 15% increase, describing such estimates as speculative. The extent of any price adjustment would vary among producers, depending on their operating costs and the prices they consider necessary to sustain their businesses. "Each farm and its profit margin and the base price that they want to adjust to and we cannot give the kind of percentage raw 15 percent, it can be very speculative, we can’t do that," he added.
Farmers across Accra are closely monitoring the cost of key inputs and the impact of foreign exchange fluctuations. With the holiday season approaching, the association urges consumers to be prepared for possible modest price adjustments while noting that each farm’s decision will depend on its individual cost structure and profit margin.
As the festive period draws near, stakeholders in the poultry supply chain will keep a close eye on feed prices, freight costs and currency movements to gauge the potential impact on retail prices. Consumers are advised to stay informed and shop wisely during the holiday season.
