Ghana's animal research institute launches new chicken breed

Ghana's Animal Research Institute (ARI) under the CSIR has introduced a new chicken breed that could grow fast and is adaptable to harsh environmental conditions.

The new chicken breed, Aribro, is created to reduce Ghana's dependence on imported breeding stock.

Ghana imported 219,240 hatching eggs and 1.4 million day-old chicks in 2008, according to statistics by the Veterinary Services Directorate.

The high import figures were due to expensive local production and domestic preference for foreign broilers. Ghana's chickens were expensive because of high production costs.

CSIR director general Dr Abdulai Baaba Salifu, said Aribro was a new breed for the production of day-old chicks for broilers in Ghana. This development will allow the production of parent lines, which so far have been imported at a minimum price of EUR3 (US$4.4) per parent chick, he said, adding that Aribro day-old chicks would be supplied to local poultry farmers at a relatively lower cost.

Project leader Dr Kwame Boa-Amponsem, said the Aribro breed was already on the market and that the ARI currently produces about 2,300 Aribro chicks per week for the market.

He said the ARI could produce more with government assistance.