Nkoko Nketenkete sees 100% capacity expansion

Operationalisation of the government’s poultry farm-to-table project, dubbed the ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ initiative, has been expanded further to 100 percent capacity regarding availability of day-old chicks for distribution under the programme.

In October last year, about two million day-old chicks were brooded and distributed across 10 regions by the government to anchor farmers nationwide: aimed at revitalising the local poultry industry, increasing domestic production from the current 5 percent, and reducing the country's dependence on imported chicken.

Deepening the project's momentum, Finance Minister Dr Cassiel Ato Forson announced to parliament during the mid-year budget review on July 23 that procurement of an additional 4-million-day-old chicks and 500,000 broiler birds has commenced, aiming to expand domestic production while curbing imports.

"Under the 'Nkoko Nketenkete' programme, procurement of an additional 4 million day-old chicks and 500,000 broiler birds has commenced. This will lead to massive expansion of the initiative in relation to the government's commitment in revitalising the domestic poultry sector," the minister said.

While the initiative has generated excitement among farmers and industry players, many believe its long-term success will depend not only on distributing birds and inputs but also addressing the structural challenges that have constrained Ghana's poultry sector for years.

Responding accordingly, the minister announced that the government has finalised purchasing 47.35 million doses of veterinary vaccines, while some 7.14 million doses are being produced locally to strengthen disease control in the poultry and general livestock sectors.

Ghana imports over 250,000 metric tonnes of poultry meat annually, costing the economy roughly US$ 350 million to US$ 400 million. Foreign chicken makes up about 95 percent of domestic consumption, with the bulk of imports originating from Brazil, the United States and the Netherlands.

This high volume of imports, according to data from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, is primarily due to a structural deficit in local supply and lower landed costs for foreign poultry, which undercut domestic producers facing high feed and infrastructure costs.

This heavy reliance on foreign meat has severely impacted the local poultry value chain, making domestic production dwindle to a fraction of national demand.

Ghana's poultry industry has the capacity to create thousands of jobs across the value chain - from hatcheries and feed mills to transporters, processors and retailers.

Beyond employment, a thriving poultry industry can reduce the country's import bill, improve household incomes and contribute significantly to agricultural growth.