The exhibitors said the programme enabled businesses to showcase products, engage directly with farmers and consumers, and promote locally produced goods and services within Ghana’s poultry value chain.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) on the sidelines of the event, exhibitors said the initiative also helped raise awareness of the poultry sector’s contribution to food security, employment and economic growth.

National Poultry Day, an initiative of Agrihouse Foundation and stakeholders in the poultry value chain, seeks to promote poultry consumption, support local poultry enterprises, create market opportunities for farmers and agribusinesses, and encourage policies that strengthen domestic poultry production.

Mr Atakwe Okine, Customer Insight Officer at Premier Poultry, said the event had enhanced the company’s visibility and provided an opportunity to engage stakeholders on the development of the poultry industry.

He said Premier Poultry, which participated in both the maiden edition and this year’s event, specialised in hatching and distributing day-old chicks to customers across Ghana’s 16 regions.

Mr Okine said events such as National Poultry Day created awareness of products and services within the industry and encouraged greater public interest in poultry farming.

He, however, said patronage at this year’s event had been lower than expected, attributing the situation partly to rainfall and flooding in parts of Accra, as well as the timing of the programme.

Mr Okine suggested that future editions should be held on public holidays to attract larger crowds and increase participation.

Ms Andrea Akl, Deputy General Manager of Qualiplast Limited, one of the event’s sponsors, said the company’s support reflected its commitment to the growth of Ghana’s poultry industry.

She said the poultry sector remained vital to the country’s food system and underscored the need to increase local production to reduce dependence on imports.

Ms Akl said the event had enabled the company to showcase its locally manufactured plastic packaging products for poultry businesses and increase awareness among farmers.

“We are here to support the farmers and show them that we also manufacture products for the poultry industry locally,” she said.

Ms Akl expressed satisfaction with feedback from existing customers, saying many farmers had commended the quality of the company’s products.

She added that the event had also created opportunities to engage prospective clients and strengthen relationships with stakeholders across the poultry industry.

Ms Abigail Osei, a poultry farmer at Sawmill near Amasaman, described the exhibition as an important avenue for businesses to market their products and establish links with consumers.

She said although sales at agricultural fairs could vary, such platforms remained valuable for promoting poultry enterprises and creating business opportunities.

Ms Osei said patronage had started slowly but expressed optimism that attendance would improve as the programme progressed.

“They’ve done well in organising such a programme. The communication was good,” she said.