In Ghana, high production costs hinder the production of chicken, the country’s most popular meat. Augustine Amankwa, a poultry entrepreneur and CEO of Amas Farms, sees opportunity in the situation. He’s optimistic about a growing market of Ghanaians who prefer fresh, locally produced poultry.
ACDI/VOCA’s USDA-funded Ghana Poultry Project (GPP) awarded Amas Farms a grant to increase poultry production through improved outgrower management and logistics planning, biosecurity and farm sanitation, and safe processing. Amas Farms supplies locally processed broilers and eggs to hotels, restaurants, supermarkets, and individual buyers in Accra. Amas Farms meets increased demand by building sustainable outgrower models.
“With this upgrade to my processing facility and outgrower scheme, I can expand my market and give jobs to more people and reduce unemployment in this community.” – Augustine Amankwah
Amas Farms trained the more than two dozen smallholder farmers in its outgrower model on cost-efficient broiler production techniques and contract agreements and negotiations at demonstration farms. It supplies the outgrowers with inputs such as day-old chicks, feed, and vaccines while the farmers raise the birds for six weeks. An extension officer manages logistics and provides technical assistance.
The GPP outgrower model phased the smallholders’ production to meet Amas Farm’s processing demands. Additionally, GPP support has enabled the upgrading of Amas’ processing unit to meet regulatory standards. Additional workrooms increase operational capacity and improve hygiene. The processing facility can now process over 1,000 birds per day, a more than 100 percent capacity increase.
The grant also enabled Amas Farm to rebrand the business and acquire certifications. Mr. Amankwah plans to further scale up the operation to include more farmers, helping them boost their incomes through regular production.
