Government has announced the distribution of 720,000 birds to farmers under the Nkoko Nketenkete programme as part of efforts to revitalise Ghana’s poultry industry and reduce dependence on imported chicken.
The birds were supplied to 13,000 farmers across twelve districts, including Tamale Metro, Wa Municipal, Nanton, Savelugu, Mion, Krachi East, Bawku West, West Gonja, Nandom, Sissala East, East Mamprusi and Mamprugu Moagduri.
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Disclosing this during his presentation at the Government Accountability Series, Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, said battery cages were also provided in some cases to support backyard poultry rearing.
He described the initiative as a pilot that allowed the Ministry to better understand the operational risks and confirm the viability of the programme.
With its success established, he said the Ministry was moving immediately into full nationwide rollout.
The Nkoko Nketenkete initiative, officially launched by President John Dramani Mahama on November 12, 2025, is aimed at empowering about 55,000 households to venture into egg and poultry production.
The goal is to create jobs, support vulnerable communities and strengthen national food security at a time when Ghana spends an estimated $300 million annually on chicken imports.
Mr Opoku explained that the intervention seeks especially to uplift women-headed households, providing them with the means to improve nutrition, generate income and contribute meaningfully to food production.
He also announced plans to establish a poultry processing factory at Bechem in the Ahafo Region to support the expected increase in local production.
“Looking at the huge investment we are making in the poultry subsector, and the vigorous campaign for participation that the Ministry has launched, we anticipate that the nation is going to produce a lot of poultry in the coming months, hence our decision to set up a poultry processing factory in Bechem,” he said.
He added that procurement processes for the factory have been completed, and the sod-cutting ceremony will be performed on Thursday, November 27, 2025, by President Mahama.
The Minister reaffirmed that the Nkoko Nketenkete programme is a major step toward reducing Ghana’s poultry import bill while empowering households and strengthening rural livelihoods.
