Dealers in live birds at the Ho Central Market recorded a dip in sales during the Christmas season, compared to the previous year. A visit by the Ghana News Agency to the market on New Year's Day saw cages filled with birds, which was an indication of slow sales. Mr Eli Belley, the biggest retailer of birds at the Central Market, who has been in the business for 15 years, told the Ghana News Agency that sales had fallen by some 40 per cent. 'Actually, the patronage is very slow. Sales is at least 60 per cent and people have been complaining about the economy and all those things,' he said. Mr Belley, who sources his birds from Adaklu Kodzoobi and Akrofu among other places, noted how production had dipped at the farms, expressing concerns over cost of feed. He appealed to the Government to subsidise the cost of chicken feed to enable farmers to enhance their production. He, however, said sales during the period were favourable as he sold about 700 layers and 300 cockerels, adding that he sold more than 1,200 the year before. Other dealers in the market shared similar stories and joined appeals for subsidised feed to sustain the industry. Source: Ghana News Agency