Saudi Arabia’s food safety regulator has placed Ghana on a full prohibition list for poultry and table egg exports, a move that industry leaders say exposes structural weaknesses in the country’s animal health and food safety systems that must urgently be addressed.
The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) imposed the ban on Ghana and 39 other countries, citing outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 as the central concern, with the authority describing its monitoring approach as continuous and responsive to evolving global disease patterns.
The SFDA clarified that the suspension does not apply to poultry and related products that have undergone heat treatment or other approved processing methods sufficient to eliminate the avian influenza or Newcastle disease virus, provided they meet approved health standards, are accompanied by a valid health certificate, and originate from an authorised facility. The exemption creates a pathway for Ghanaian processors with certified facilities and proper documentation to continue accessing the Saudi market.
The Chamber of Agribusiness Ghana (CAG) said Ghana’s placement on the list alongside major economies including Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom, and China reflects the SFDA’s risk-based, non-discriminatory approach. However, CAG’s Chief Executive Officer, Anthony Morrison, said the ban should be read as a serious institutional signal rather than a routine trade matter.
Morrison called on the government and key regulatory bodies including the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA), the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), the Veterinary Council, and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) to treat the development as a call to build credible, internationally recognised food safety infrastructure. “Countries that leave their populations exposed to preventable disease due to lack of investment in world-class food safety and animal health systems will not command global market access,” he said.
The SFDA’s ban list has been in operation in some form since 2004, with countries added or removed based on periodic risk assessments and international disease reports. The authority confirmed that the list remains subject to review, meaning Ghana’s status is not necessarily permanent.
Saudi Arabia is one of the world’s largest importers of poultry products, spending billions of dollars annually on imports to supplement domestic production.
