In Ghana, rapid urbanization and population growth have significantly increased the demand for eggs and chicken meat. However, local production meets less than 10% of this demand, leading to over $400 million in annual chicken imports. G.I. Nyame Aye Awie Ampa Limited (GINAAAL), a leading commercial egg producer in the Bono region of Ghana with over 100,000 birds, is well-positioned to help transform the poultry sector. By reducing import dependence, enhancing food security, and creating economic opportunities particularly for smallholder farmers and women entrepreneurs in its supply chain, GINAAAL is driving inclusive growth in the poultry industry in Ghana.
Despite this promise, GINAAAL has faced significant barriers to scaling its operations. Limited access to appropriate long-term capital restricted its ability to invest in modernizing its production facilities, improve productivity, and increase its output to meet growing unmet demand for poultry products in the Ghanaian and sub-regional markets. Additionally, GINAAAL needed specialized technical support to adopt best practices in poultry husbandry, enhance farm bio-security, and establish strong market linkages with egg and poultry wholesalers in Ghana. In 2019, AV Ventures Ghana invested in GINAAAL.
This investment was bolstered by technical assistance to enhance its productivity and market access. As a result, GINAAAL expanded its egg production capacity by 7 million eggs annually. The investment also enabled the company to increase employment by 20 percent, enhance its egg retailer network—over 90 percent of whom were women—and create market opportunities for over 900 smallholder soy and maize farmers. Additionally, During the COVID-19 pandemic, GINAAAL faced supply chain disruptions limiting product sales. AV Ventures arranged an egg off-taker agreement with a digital marketplace, boosting GINAAAL’s egg sales at guaranteed prices and improving liquidity for operations.
