Ghana National Egg Campaign Secretariat (GNECS) in collaboration with Agric House Foundation held a day cooking competition and food bazaar for participants at this year’s preharvest conference and exhibition in Tamale. The competition brought together ten school heads from the Tamale Technical University (TaTU) Hospitality, Tourism and Catering Management (HTCM) department.
The 10 including a male student prepared their own recipes with eggs and local dishes under the supervision of their lecturers. The local dishes prepared by the students were Tuubani, snacks with eggs with local herbs and boiled yam with eggs among others.
The competition was part of this year’s Agribusiness Preharvest conference and exhibition which brought together stakeholders in the agric value chain including farm implements manufactures, dealers and some government departments and agencies.
Ghana National Eggs Campaign Secretariat (GNECS) started in 2015 with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) project known as Assisting Management in Poultry Industry through Feed Strategies (AMPLIFIES) with the focus on per capita consumption of eggs in the country.
GNECS ‘aim for the competition was to remind the students that they have jobs on hand even before they complete school.
Speaking to Zaa News at the Alhaji Aliu Mahama Sports Stadium in Tamale, Ghana National Eggs Campaign Secretariat (GNECS) said stakeholders continued the campaign after Food Agriculture Organization (FAO) documents indicated that eggs consumption in Ghana was between 12 and 20 eggs per person yearly. To increase public awareness about eggs consumption, stakeholders set aside October 8 each year as national eggs day.
Two surveys conducted in 2017, 2018 and 2019 which are under validation indicated that consumption of eggs by Ghanaians rose to 1,15 eggs annually per person. She attributed the increase to a vigorous campaign spearheaded by the GNECS and its partners. On the capacity of Ghanaians poultry farmers to feed the country, Madam Comfort stated that farmers have more what it takes to produce enough eggs for Ghanaians and do not need to import eggs outside.
The poultry farmers she added rather export to the neighboring countries such Burkina and Togo. She however lamented about the increasing cost of production, especially since the outbreak of covid 19 adding some poultry farmers has folded up while price of eggs going up marginally from 1GHC to 1:20 pesewas.
She downplays the increment emphasizing that the benefits of consuming eggs outweigh the increment. She appealed to Ghanaians to help poultry farmers in order not to collapse the industry. Coordinator of Ghana National Egg Campaign Secretariat, Madam Comfort Acheampong Kyerewaa said the egg competition was to teach and encourage the use of eggs in local dishes.
Madam Comfort Acheampong Kyerewaa encouraged citizens to ignore widely held views and myths that egg consumption has time and age limit.
The GNECS distributed close to 300 eggs in dishes, raw and cooked eggs to the Tamale Orphanage home, rehabilitation center and selected community hospitals within Tamale metropolis and Sagnarigu Municipality during the three days period.
Participants queue for eggs made dishes