Nkoko Nketenkete: Farmers in Nkoranza demand increased supply of chicks

Poultry farmers in the Nkoranza North Municipality of the Bono East Region have appealed to the government to distribute more chicks under the Nkoko Nketenkete initiative to enable more farmers in the area to benefit.

During a visit to some farms in Nkoranza, the farmers told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that while the initiative is laudable and welcome, more farmers should be included to boost the growth of the poultry sector.

The Acting Nkoranza North Municipal Director of Agriculture, Joshua Yaw Jejija, said more than 50,000 farmers in the area have so far registered with the directorate to benefit from government agricultural intervention programmes.

He said only about 10,000 of the registered poultry farmers have benefited from the free distribution of birds, feed, and other essential items. According to him, the birds were distributed to 200 households, with each household receiving 50 chicks.

Jejija added that the municipality has been selected for the construction of a Farmer Service Centre, with land already acquired for the facility.

He further noted that about 10,000 farmers have also registered under the Feed Ghana programme for livestock production, aquaculture, and crop farming, while 5,000 registered under the Nkoko Nketenkete initiative.

He expressed concern about the impact of climate change, saying erratic rainfall, extreme heat, and unpredictable weather patterns are affecting farming activities in the area.

Jejija also called for improved access to ready markets, noting that the lack of reliable markets is hindering agricultural growth in the municipality.

He further urged government to adequately resource the directorate, citing challenges such as limited personnel and lack of logistics, including vehicles and motorbikes, for effective monitoring and supervision.

The Nkoranza North Municipal Chief Executive, Godfred Dapaah, praised government interventions aimed at improving the socio-economic livelihoods of farmers and residents.

He assured that more birds would be distributed in the next phase of the Nkoko Nketenkete initiative and urged beneficiaries to take good care of the chicks.

He added that improvements in health, education, roads, and agriculture have helped ease challenges in the municipality, and called on residents to support the government’s “reset Ghana” agenda to build a better society for all.