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Sep 10, 2015
ASA Director Joe Steinkamp and CEO Steve Censky join Samuel Darko, CEO of Darko Poultry Farms, viewing a sample of local maize stored at his feed milling facility. Local maize quality varies significantly and solvent extracted 47 percent protein soybean meal availability is irregular, both issues to be addressed by the ASA/WISHH Program's AMPLIFIES Ghana project.
American Soybean Association (ASA) Vice President Joe Steinkamp (IN) and CEO Stephen Censky visited the only vertically integrated poultry operation in Ghana last week.
Darko Farms, established in the late 1960s, runs a parent stock hatchery, day-old chick, broiler grow-out, feed compounding and slaughter facility in Kumasi, Ghana. They are a stakeholder in the ASA/ World Initiative for Soy in Human Health (WISHH) Program's new Food for Progress project aimed at revitalizing the Ghanaian poultry industry, which will include the monetization of U.S. soybean meal later this year.
The challenges Darko Farms face include biosecurity, consistent feed ingredient quality and supply, and low local demand for breast meat.
They prefer solvent extracted soybean meal for their feeds and are developing a business model involving contracted poultry producers who will place a minimum of 2,000 chicks and receive Darko feeds and extension services for maximum efficient broiler production.
