GHANA: Dumping of chickens undermines farmers

In recent years, cheap imported chicken from the US and Europe — usually fatty chicken parts in unlabelled packages — has flooded Ghana's market, leading to a collapse in demand for local poultry. In 2004, an estimated 40,000 tonnes of chicken was imported, mostly from the European Union, where farmers receive substantial subsidies. This "dumping" is threatening the livelihoods of more than 400,000 poultry farmers in Ghana. Domestic farmers' share of the poultry market shrunk from 95% in 1992 to just 11% in 2001. Two years ago, the tariffs on imported chicken were raised from 20% to 40%, yet within two months this was reversed, under pressure from the International Monetary Fund. For more information visit <http://www.corpwatch.org>.

From Green Left Weekly, June 22, 2005.

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From GLW issue 630