President John Dramani Mahama has announced a major intervention aimed at revitalising Ghana’s poultry industry through large-scale local production.
Speaking at the launch of the Nkoko Nketenkete Poultry Farm-to-Table Project on Wednesday, November 12, President Mahama said the initiative would provide direct support to 50 carefully selected anchor farmers across the country, each receiving 80,000 birds, as well as housing, logistics, and technical assistance to ensure efficient operations.
According to him, the project is designed to produce over four million birds annually, a move expected to stimulate local feed demand, create jobs, and establish stronger market links between producers and processors.
“For too long, Ghana’s poultry industry, which was once a lively contributor to rural incomes and national nutrition, has faced several bottlenecks such as high feed costs, limited access to improved breeds, inadequate processing capacity, and overreliance on imports,” he lamented.
President Mahama disclosed that Ghana spent over $350 million in 2023 importing poultry products, an expenditure he described as “a drain on our foreign exchange and a missed opportunity for farmers and entrepreneurs.”
He emphasised that the time had come for Ghanaians to “consume what we ourselves grow,” stressing that the new poultry programme will anchor local production, reduce import dependency, and restore confidence in the domestic poultry market.
The initiative, he noted, forms part of his broader agricultural transformation agenda, aimed at empowering farmers, boosting food security, and promoting sustainable livelihoods across the country.
“The Poultry Farm-to-Table Project includes an anchor farmer and out-grower support scheme. This will involve 50 anchor poultry farmers carefully selected across the length and breadth of the country. Each of these anchor farmers will receive 80,000 birds, housing, logistics, and technical support.
“Collectively, the 50 anchor farms, with 80,000 birds each, are expected to produce four million birds. This initiative will boost local feed demand and establish direct market connections between producers and processors,” he said.
Source: www.kumasimail.com
