Accra, Ghana//-Women in the Poultry Value Chain (WIPVaC) has held a three-day capacity building workshop on integrated financial management in Accra.
The primary purpose of the workshop is to help address the financial challenges in bookkeeping.
The workshop also afforded them the opportunity to put in place good accounting practices and methods in the bid to boost the poultry business with profit maximization to enable the women to enhance financial growth and development in the poultry value chain.
The programme brought together scores of women on a common platform to discuss and deliberate on issues and challenges within the poultry industry and the best practices to apply and harness the potentials in the industry.
The workshop was organized by the Apex body of women in poultry value chain under the auspices of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in collaboration with the American Soybean Association (ASA), World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH), World Poultry Foundation and Women in Poultry Value Chain (WIPVaC).
Addressing participants, Edwin Bekoe, the Director, Animal Production Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, urged the women to engage in periodic training in building their capacity in financial management of their businesses.
He explained that it would help and guide in proper bookkeeping and sound records of financial transactions.
“Women continuous to play an essential role in the poultry value chain as producers, processors, input dealers, as well as markers therefore their role cannot be overlooked”, he added indicating further that financial institutions must provide credit facilities to streamline the inefficiencies in the poultry production chain.
He noted that the country was exporting poultry and its products in the 1970s and have now become a net importer of same produce at an average of 400,000 metric tonnes of meat estimated at $350 million.
It is having a huge toll on the economy challenging government to roll out the Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) programme in 2019 to reverse the trend.
He therefore urged participants to take advantage of the training programme and share the knowledge acquired with other trading partners and also exhibit it in their trading endeavours.
For her part, the National President of the Apex Body of Women in Poultry Value Chain, Mrs Victoria Norgbey said the training programme would harmonise the interest of women in poultry and will serve as a mouthpiece as advocacy for enabling environment towards sustainable poultry business.
She said WIPVaC comprises of aggregators of maize, soya, suppliers of day old chicks and dealers in poultry inputs such as fish meal, concentrates, poultry drugs, feed, farmers, egg sellers, guinea fowl and chicken products, live bird sellers and processors working collectively to support the food nutrition and security of the citizenry.
In a remark, the Consultant for the World Poultry Foundation, Daniel Anang said the workshop will help build the financial capacity of women in the poultry value chain and will enable them also keep proper account of their business operations and transactions.
For her part, the Secretary for the World Poultry Association – Ghana Branch, Madam Comfort Kyerewa Acheampong said the programme would empower the women and bring them at the fore front of the poultry industry, adding that women have played a leading role in the poultry value chain for many years.
By Ben Laryea, African Eye Report
