Europe / Africa: The Struggle of the Chicken
00'02
Each year in May tomato farmers harvest the land as they have done for generations. However, all is not well in tomato country. The last harvest was poor, and then globalization hit farmers like John Huago. His tomatoes don’t make any money and the revenue barely covers the costs.
00'26
OT John Huago, tomato farmer
Since the Europeans are importing foreign tinned tomatoes in our country, farming work has fallen down.
00'37
The tomatoes from Europe are very cheaply priced. The high-tech, highly subsidized European agricultural companies have a clear advantage.
00'49
Tomato paste from Italy is only 15 cents per can. For quick cooking, it is the easiest choice - even for many Africans.
00'59
OT Owusu Acheampong, Reseller
The problem is that our local farmers simply do not know how to can or bottle produce. If they could adapt and can tomatoes on the market, we would also be able to sell domestically.
01'22
John would like to process his own tomatoes, so then he would have fewer problems. But there are barely any profitable factories where he can process them.
01'36
We need to fill our factories with local produce. If the variety is no good for them, then you can bring us your own variety to the factory and we’ll produce it for them.
01'53
But the Europeans want to get rid of their surpluses at any price. In the past ten years, the EU has spent 3.7 billion euros on export subsidies. So is it worth, Africa selling poultry parts to Europe, which no one likes to eat at the wholesale price of 60 cents per kilo.
02'18
OT Jemina Ankrah, market woman
That’s what the customers buy, the Ghanians like this chicken. This chicken has a price that anyone can afford. If the chickens are too expensive, you can take them back.
02'34
Reporter:
And where is that?
OT market woman:
This comes from Holland.
02'41
The local farmers can’t keep up with this predatory pricing. So is it then necessary that Ghana's farmers are protected through import tariffs? The EU alone is pushing for free trade.
02'55
OT Chris Tabel Phiri, Third World Network
The Ghanaian producers cannot keep up with the Europeans. What we are watching is the complete collapse of domestic industry, the complete collapse. We in Ghana do not produce such large quantities as the Europeans. In addition, our infrastructure hasn’t grown and the quality of our products is in no way competitive.
03'20
Ninety percent of the chicken breeders feel the full brunt of free trade and do not survive.
This poultry farm still exists because it has converted to egg production. The chairman of the Poultry Association Kenneth Quartey recognized early that he had no chance against the European competition.
03'42
OT Kenneth Quartey, egg producer
Free trade in the manner that it’s being practiced by the powers now is to blame for this. It is an unjust situation. You can not have a situation where 360 billion U.S. dollars subsidizes agriculture in one part of the world and then say to the other part of the world, You must now go and compete with them, if they can not have access to those funds.
04'06
Open
04'08
Poultry breeder Alex Yeboah has just saved his business. When his chickens were no longer wanted because of the influx of frozen parts from Europe, he sought new customers. Today he sells only to demanding clients, such as top quality restaurants.
04'26
OT Alex Yeboah, poultry breeders
They buy it because they like the taste of our local chicken. The frozen parts are sometimes a year old and people still bring it. Our clients are restaurants or supermarkets. They appreciate our quality. That's why they buy from us.
04'45
In city markets, dealers are desperate. There have hardly any customers. Ghanaians have noticed how easy it is to have ready-packaged chicken wings from the freezer and they no longer want whole animals.
05'02
OT seller
Previously, the women came and said, hey, I have a festival, I need 50 chickens. Some came and even wanted to buy 100 chickens. Today, that’s no more. These people buy the same parts in the box. This is of course easier for them. But woe, when the meat is in the heat too long, then it starts to spoil and is no longer healthy.
05'29
The African growers are trying to keep up with the times. Their plan: to provide food frozen in boxes, just as the Europeans have been doing. Quality or not. In the end, what counts is what people buy and the customers want it to be cheap more than anything else.
05'52
OT Alex Yeboah, poultry breeders
Now we plan to also sell the individual parts such as legs, wings and so on. Some may want only to eat the wings but we always try to sell the whole chicken first. If we change, maybe we can once again participate in the market.
06'13
Open
06'16
Back to the family of tomato farmer John Huago. He also needs to adapt. He wants to work on the cultivation of watermelons and onions in the coming future, but they produce much less. The younger generation is moving away from agriculture. Only a few are interested in it now because the business is simply not worth it.
06'48
OT John Huago, tomato farmer
My children, both of them are ladies. I want to change the future for them so they can work in different departments, not in farming.
07'01
The oldest daughter wants to be a nurse in the city, as the tomato business, has long since closed.
07'10
TDC Grace Huago, daughter
When I see how hard my father worked, I would not be a farmer. Before, there was still money in farming but now there is no money there. Now, people only pay what they want for our tomatoes and we must accept.
07'30
It is quite absurd. Just because Europe has too much food, the agriculture in Africa is left broken. John, the most successful tomato farmer in the entire district, has been swept away by the wave of free trade. He tells us, in the end, it is clear who wins at this game. Of course it’s the Europeans, it always has been.
08'00
End
Reporter: Patrick A. Hafner
Camera: Ofori Rashid
Editor: Sandra Walla