President John Dramani Mahama is making significant strides in solidifying the nation’s push for poultry self-sufficiency, launching a key industrial project that perfectly complements the recently unveiled “Nkoko Nkitinkiti” Programme. The administration is determined to increase local poultry production and value addition, aiming to dramatically reduce the country’s reliance on costly frozen chicken imports.
The foundation of this strategy is the “Nkoko Nkitinkiti’ Programme, a critical component of the broader Feed Ghana Programme. This ambitious initiative seeks to elevate Ghana’s local chicken production from an estimated 12% to over 75% by 2028, a move projected to save hundreds of millions of dollars in import costs annually. The Programme’s core involves the distribution of three million birds to interested farmers across all 276 constituencies over a four-week period, a direct measure to immediately increase national stock.
The “Nkoko Nkitinkiti” initiative employs a strategic dual-track approach, supporting both small and large-scale producers. The mass distribution aims to reach approximately 60,000 households, with each receiving around 50 chicks, along with vital support like feed, vaccines, and technical guidance. This focus is aimed at improving family nutrition and creating sustainable livelihoods, particularly for women and youth in rural communities.
Furthermore, a dedicated Anchor Farmers component targets commercial growth. Under this scheme, 50 selected large-scale poultry farmers will receive extensive support, including 80,000 chicks each, with a total production target of four million additional birds. This commercial boost is crucial for achieving the 75% self-sufficiency goal, ensuring the scale needed to displace foreign imports.
To complete the integrated value chain and ensure a secure market for these millions of birds, the President is scheduled to cut the sod later today for the construction of a new Poultry Processing Factory in Bechem.
This facility will serve the critical function of off-taking poultry from Ghanaian farmers—including those in the ‘Nkoko Nkitinkiti” Programme—and processing it into various value-added products.
This establishment of a guaranteed off-take/buyback system provides financial security for farmers and creates a robust, secure, and fully integrated national poultry industry.
Ruth Abla ADJORLOLO
