The Government of Ghana has launched the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Household and Backyard Poultry Initiative, a major programme aimed at strengthening food security, reducing poultry imports, and promoting inclusive economic growth.
Under the initiative, three million birds will be distributed across all 276 constituencies, benefiting 60,000 households. Each participating household will receive 50 birds, along with feed support and technical guidance. Constituencies are expected to receive 10,000 birds each, while 50 selected anchor farmers will be supported to produce a combined four million birds, equivalent to 10,000 metric tonnes of chicken.
Launching the programme at Jubilee Park in Kumasi, President John Dramani Mahama described the initiative as a “national movement” designed to restore Ghana’s self-sufficiency in poultry production. He noted that the intervention is a key pillar under the broader Feed Ghana Programme, which seeks to revitalise the poultry value chain after years of high feed costs, limited improved breeds, low processing capacity, and heavy reliance on imports. In 2023 alone, Ghana spent over $350 million on imported poultry.
President Mahama reaffirmed government’s commitment to reversing this trend, highlighting ongoing support for 500 small and medium-scale farmers to produce an additional three million birds. He also announced plans to begin the construction of a modern poultry processing factory in Bechem, Bono Region, to serve farmers in Bono, Bono East, and Ashanti.
The long-term target, he said, is to increase Ghana’s poultry self-sufficiency from 12% to over 75% by 2028 through improved breeds, affordable feed systems, farmer service centres, and expanded veterinary support.
Addressing the recent food glut, the President disclosed that $100 million has been released to the National Buffer Stock Company to purchase maize, with an additional $200 million to be used for buying maize and rice from local farmers. He has further directed school feeding caterers to increase their purchase of eggs to support poultry farmers facing market challenges.
Minister for Food and Agriculture Eric Opoku noted that Ghana’s poultry imports have risen sharply since 1998, reaching 324,000 tonnes in 2022, while local production still meets less than 5% of demand. He emphasized that backyard poultry systems, as successfully adopted in countries like India, remain vital for empowering women and increasing national food production.