The egg glut in the country is worsening, with the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association accusing market women of refusing to reduce retail prices despite lower farm-gate rates, raising fears of a potential collapse in the poultry sector.
According to the association, while farm-gate prices have dropped to between GH¢40 and GH¢45 per crate, many market women continue to sell eggs at high retail prices.
This has created a sharp disconnect between production and consumption, leaving farmers unable to move their stock.
Speaking to JoyNews, the CEO of the association, Ali Mohammed, disclosed that inflated market prices have driven consumers away, resulting in over 38,000 crates of eggs currently stuck on farms.
He said, “The local farmer has reduced his price of eggs from the farm gate. But the market queens are not prepared to reduce them. Look, these market queens bear no risk at all. They don’t pay with cash. They come and take them, sell them, and bring you your money.”
Mr. Mohammed further explained, “They take it, maybe say 45 cedis from the farm gate. The last count, somebody was giving me information that there are places that they sell eggs on the table for around 70 to 75 cedis. What do you think? It’s only too much on the high side. Even the farmers do not earn that kind of margin per crate.”
He added, “As of last Wednesday, per the last survey that we did from our members, we have over 38,000 crates sitting on farms. There are no off-tickets. The market queens are not being fair to the farmers.”
Calling for government intervention, Mohammed urged the development of a clear pricing policy to curb soaring egg prices and prevent future losses for farmers.
“We can’t prevent the birds from laying. Every day they lay. And a market queen or market woman who comes for them couldn’t sell them on the market. She will come back and come and pick,” he said.
MR. Mohammed also challenged claims of a glut in the market, arguing that high prices indicate otherwise.
“At last Wednesday, what we call sometimes the glut – I don’t call it that; I don’t see them as a glut. If there is a glut, it should reflect in the price. Yes, but when they say there’s a glut, when the price is around 70 to 75 cedis, then there is no glut. The market queens are not being fair to the farmer.”
He further highlighted storage challenges, noting, “The shelf life of the egg is very limited. Unlike maybe some of the advanced markets where the eggs are being transported in frozen vans, then they are in the supermarket frozen. That one, you can have them for a longer period. But here, it’s an open market. There’s like the heat and things that don’t make them stay very long.”
He stressed that the situation remains challenging and suggested that the government consider introducing a pricing policy for farm-gate produce.