La Bianca, Rockland Meat partner to supply local poultry products

La Bianca Company Limited, importers of frozen chicken products has entered into a partnership with Rockland Meat Company Limited to market and, distribute local poultry products.

At a ceremony to herald the new partnership, Chief Executive Officer of La Bianca, Madam Eunice Buah Asomah Hinneh, told the story of how La Bianca had learnt a painful story of failure, when their initial venture into the poultry rearing business collapsed due to a lack of cheap, available feed.

This experience forced the importer to think differently about its approach into the live poultry business, which led her to the realisation that “we cannot compete with the imported chicken without feed.”

Madam Hinneh revealed that after that humbling experience, her outfit decided to acquire land on which to grow maize, as a way of producing their own feed to sustain the business.

This farm currently produces about 300 bags of corn, annually, which will be used to support Rockland under this new agreement.

She therefore urged other local poultry producers to emulate their initiative and go into grain production.

She called for government support in the production of local feeds, which she believes will help stem the tide of foreign chicken imports, failing which, “the local poultry industry will be in trouble.”

Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Rockland Meat Company Limited, Edith Akosah Wheatland, explained that the agreement will have benefits, not just for Rock Land, but its outgrower partners, who produce ‘Akoko Tasty’ brand of chicken.

She stated that the biggest challenge they have faced has been marketing and funding.

She appealed for a waiver of certain ingredients that they bring in to support their production to be brought back to make their work sustainable.

She also appealed for a special rate for the agricultural sector, and also help the production of maize and soybeans to reduce the overall cost of production.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture in Charge of Crops, Alhaji Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru, lauded the two companies for this partnership, calling it “a major breakthrough which will be beneficial to the entire industry.”

He disclosed that government, under the Savannah Improvement Programme, government plans to partner with farmers to improve crop production by removing the impediments to land accessibility.

Under this initiative, the government will take up the cost of buying land for maize and soybean production, with the understanding that farmers will pay for these lands in kind, considering the current economic climate.

He advised young graduates to go into agriculture, particularly cereal production, rather than waiting for non-existent white collar jobs.

National Chairman of the Poultry Farmers Association of Ghana, Victor Oppong Agyei, lauded La Bianca for pushing the production of local broilers.

He described the agreement between the two entities as “an opportunity to invest more in the industry. This should give a new wind to investment in the poultry industry.”

According to him, COVID-19 sent a signal that all countries should be food sufficient, noting that this is important for sustainable growth and development.