An Analysis Of Least-Cost Rations For Poultry

INTRODUCTION Shortages of meat accompanied by rapid price increases have aroused much concern in Ghana recently. These shortages may be attributed in part to a decline in the flow of livestock from neighbouring states which serve as our primary external sources of meat (Clottey, 1971) . There is evidence to suggest that of recent local sources of meat have also lagged due to increased costs of production. These supply factors combined with a rising demand, resulting primarily from population growth, have caused these price increases. The result of the shortages is that Ghanaians have had little access to animal protein and have been unable to meet their protein needs. In an attempt to meet the protein needs of the people, the government has sought, as a short term measure, to increase imports of meat. This approach involves expenditure of foreign exchange. Furthermore, the situation is aggravated by the fact that prices have risen to such levels that the amount of meat that must be imported, if Ghana is to meet domestic demand, will require large amounts of foreign exchange. Clottey (1971) has reported that in 1961, ^8.7 2 million were expended on 21,000 tons of meat while £6.1 million were expended on only 6,600 tons of meat in 1968 } Apparently, supplies have declined in the face of rising prices. In the light of balance of payments constraints, the quantity that the country can import to satisfy domestic demand is limited by scarcity of foreign exchange. These difficulties suggest that efforts to expand local sources of meat should become increasingly attractive. However, the problem with local livestock herds is that their rate of reproduction is very low. As a result, the extraction rates have exceeded the growth rate. Clottey (1971) has estimated that in 1967 the take off for slaughter and consumption was about 8 per cent which was more than double the growth rate. This state of affairs was typical of the sixties. Clottey has also observed that the present cattle herd of 600,000 has taken about 50 years to build, starting with a population of 70,000 in the early twenties. Looking into the future and making projections, he concluded: "... at the current growth rate of 4 per cent, we would require about 40 more years to build the herd to a level that will permit self-sufficient extractions" (1971, p.233).