Is the Poultry Sector Still Booming Despite the COVID-19 Pandemic?

Overview of coronavirus pandemic

Coronavirus disease 2019 also known as COVID-19 is a viral disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The disease was first identified in Wuhan, China and since then, it has now become a global pandemic with 1 million+ reported cases with over 50,000 deaths and around 219,000 recoveries as of 3^rd March 2020. The outbreak of this virus has led to the cancellation or postponement of concerts, sporting events, fashion shows and has also led to the shutdown of schools and religious institutions worldwide.

Impact on the poultry industry

The worsening effects of the pandemic have forced governments all over the world to place some form of restrictions on freedom of movement – steps which have been taken to curtail the spread range from border closures, instruction of non-essential workers to stay at a home, to total nationwide lockdowns. These measures, however, have had their consequences. For example, the lockdowns have hit the hospitality and restaurant sectors hard – this has negatively impacted the broiler industry worldwide and has led to a drop in sales. Another serious problem affecting poultry businesses is disinformation – economictimes.indiatimes.com reported that the wholesale price of chicken had dropped by as much as 70% in India due to misinformation being circulated that chicken could spread the coronavirus. In Ghana, most poultry farmers especially egg producers, have largely been unaffected and also, feed manufacturers and distributors have been deemed essential so the partial lockdown which was implemented in some cities in Ghana have not negatively impacted farmers. However, uncertainty still hovers around the Ghanaian poultry sector because, if a nationwide lockdown were to be implemented, many Ghanaians could potentially lose their jobs which would result in the decline in consumption of chicken and eggs.

The way forward

As the pandemic rages on, poultry farmers have to ensure that they and their workers follow WHO guidelines as in, frequently washing their hands with soap and constantly disinfecting frequently touched surfaces to prevent infection. Also, farmers must be alert and try to use all media resources available to counter disinformation campaigns aimed at jeopardizing the poultry industry.