January 25, 2023

Ghana approves imports of US pork and pork products

Ghana's Ministry of Food and Agriculture and the United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) have signed an agreement to allow US exports of pork and pork products into Ghana, Ghana Web reported.

Ghana's Chief Veterinary Officer of the Veterinary Services Directorate, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, said other US meat products including beef, goat, lamb and poultry, among others will also be imported.

Stakeholders in the Ghana swine industry are concerned that the agreement will result in possible dumping, and affect local meat production. They are also worried if there are designated laboratories in place to check impending imports.

The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) said the deal does not bode well for local swine farms and the country's economy.

Anthony Selorm Morrison, CEO of CAG, said swine farmers are finding it difficult to sustain the industry due to high feed and operational costs, and now an undue advantage is being offered to American producers who have subsidies from their country as well as inexpensive technology to produce more.

Some Ghanian swine farms export pork to China, the CAG said.

The USDA said Ghana's imported pork and pork products market was valued at US$16 million in 2021. Imports from the EU dominate the Ghana market, with total imports rising steadily since 2017, reaching 15,000 metric tonnes in 2021. The US is not a significant player and is not even listed among the top ten importers into the country.

-      Ghana Web