SUPERVISE SMALL-SCALE FISH MEAL PRODUCERS (PAGE 38, OCT 11, 2010)

WITH Christmas approaching , poultry and livestock farmers have intensified their business activities to attract buyers. However, all is not rosy for some poultry farmers who claim they have to incur additional costs in the purchase of drugs for the treatment of poultry and livestock diseases.
An interaction with some poultry farmers with the Daily Graphic in Tema and its environs, indicate that poultry farmers have to invest more in the purchase of antibiotics to keep their birds healthy leading to an increase in the prices of poultry produced locally, while the markets for those engaged in the sale of imported chicken, has become lucrative.
After the interaction with the poultry farmers, this reporter followed up with a visit to some drying sites at Tema New Town to find out how fish meal was processed, and that revealed that the it was done under unhygienic conditions.
Some workers of the small-scale fish meal companies disclosed that drying was done either by spreading fresh unwholesome or steamed fish gathered from the beaches and offal on the ground.
Apart from the environmental pollution caused by their activities as a result of the stench from the fish, the drying process attracts migrating birds, and vultures and creates an unsightly scene.
The unhygienic way of producing fish meal goes on despite the fact that Ghana Protein Ltd., a company located in the heavy industrial area in Tema and engaged in the production of fish meal, has a capacity to produce 360 tons daily but cannot meet the market demand because of lack of materials to feed the mill. The company presently produces at less than 30 per cent capacity.
Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic, a Manager of the company Mr Anthony Adu–Nketia expressed concern about the activities of some fish meal producers noting that the blame of high cost of running poultry farms must be put at the doorstep of those people.
He called on the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to streamline the operations of all registered companies engaged in the production of fish meal to ensure that they practised under hygienic conditions to reduce the cost involved in operating poultry farms.
On their operations, Mr Adu-Nketia said the company employed 50 workers who operated the machines which produced the fish meal but had not met the market demands, adding that the activities of indigenous fish meal producers had made it difficult for the factory to have adequate raw materials and that has thereby affected their operations.
He said the company imported fish meal from South Africa and Senegal and other places to augment its production and were in the process to install equipment to boost aqua culture.
The General Manager of Ghana Protein Ltd. Mr Fabrice Pizano said the company was the only mechanised fish meal producing factory in Ghana and operated with international standards.
He said the market would be streamlined if the ministry intensified animal and poultry health education to create awareness among operators in the industry.
He called for more support to enable the company install adequate equipment to generate products from their operations for export and in the production of pharmaceuticals including cosmetics and Omega H3 products .
Some people interviewed by the Daily Graphic said many Ghanaians had turned to the consumption of fish and therefore called for strict measures to supervise those in the business and curb the situation where some people diverted unwholesome fish to the market.
They also urged the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to take a critical look at how animal feed products are produced in the country to boost the livestock and poultry industry.