President Mahama Launches “Nkoko Nketenkete” Poultry Initiative in Kumasi

President John Dramani Mahama has launched the Nkoko Nketenkete Household and Backyard Poultry Initiative in Kumasi, a flagship national programme aimed at boosting food security, creating jobs, and promoting sustainable livelihoods across Ghana.

The launch, held on Wednesday, November 12, 2025, in the Ashanti Regional capital, marks a major step under the government’s Feed Ghana Programme—a key pillar of the broader national plan for agricultural transformation, food sovereignty, and shared prosperity.

Addressing a large gathering of farmers, traditional leaders, and government officials, President Mahama described the initiative as a “national movement” to restore Ghana’s self-sufficiency in poultry production and empower vulnerable households, particularly women and youth.

“This initiative is more than just a government intervention; it is a courageous step towards restoring food self-sufficiency, strengthening household resilience, and fostering sustainable livelihoods,” the President stated.

He expressed concern over Ghana’s continued dependence on imported poultry, revealing that the country spent over 350 million dollars on poultry imports in 2023 — a situation he described as a drain on foreign exchange and a missed opportunity for local farmers and entrepreneurs.

“We must, and we will, reverse this trend. The time has come for Ghana to reclaim the pride of producing, processing, and consuming what we ourselves grow,” President Mahama declared.

Under the Feed Ghana Programme, the government is pursuing three key strategies to revitalise the poultry value chain — from the household level to commercial-scale operations.

The first component, the Poultry Farm-to-Table Project and Anchor Farmers and Outgrower Support Scheme, will see 50 anchor farmers across the country each receive 80,000 birds, housing, logistics, and technical support — a move expected to produce about 4 million birds in total.

The second phase, through the Food Systems Resilience Programme, will support 500 small and medium-scale poultry farmers nationwide to produce an additional 3 million birds.

The third and most community-focused component — the Nkoko Nketenkete Backyard Poultry for Nutrition and Livelihoods — targets 60,000 households across all 276 constituencies. Each household will receive 50 birds, feed, and technical guidance to sustain production.

President Mahama noted that the breeds — pullets and cockerels — were selected for their resilience and productivity under local conditions.

He further announced that the government, through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, will soon begin the construction of a modern poultry processing factory at Bechem in the Bono Region to serve as a ready market for producers in the Bono, Ashanti, and Bono East regions.

“Our long-term goal is to increase Ghana’s poultry self-sufficiency from 12 percent today to over 75 percent by 2028,” he revealed.

The President said government is also establishing 270 farming service centres nationwide to deliver mechanisation, inputs, and extension support, while ensuring affordable credit for poultry farmers.

He called on traditional and religious leaders to champion the initiative in their communities and urged the youth and women to seize the opportunity to build sustainable family businesses.

“The success of this programme depends on our collective effort. It is a citizen-led movement for food security and self-reliance,” President Mahama concluded.