The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has urged beneficiaries of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative to treat the programme as a profitable business venture by selling most of the birds they rear instead of consuming them.
Speaking on The Future of Poultry Beyond Nkoko Nkitinkiti on Friday, July 17, the minister explained that while beneficiaries may use some of the birds for household consumption, they should focus on expanding their poultry stock and selling the majority to generate income and contribute to the growth of Ghana’s poultry industry.
According to Mr. Opoku, the primary objective of the Nkoko Nkitinkiti project is to increase local poultry production while strengthening the country’s entire poultry value chain. He noted that the government’s vision goes beyond increasing the number of birds by promoting processing, marketing and value addition to ensure poultry products move efficiently from farms to consumers.
The minister identified the lack of a reliable market for poultry producers as one of the biggest challenges facing the industry, stressing that value addition remains essential to transforming Ghana’s poultry sector.
To address this challenge, he revealed that the government has begun establishing the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Poultry Processing Centre in Bechem following the launch of the backyard poultry project.
According to him, the processing centre will provide a ready market for poultry farmers, promote value addition and improve the competitiveness of locally produced poultry products.
Mr. Opoku encouraged beneficiaries to view the birds as an investment rather than a source of immediate consumption.
“You have been given the birds, and you are a human being, so you cannot leave them there and go to the market to buy chicken once you have it. So consume some, but don’t consume everything. See it as a business and as seed that can help you expand your poultry enterprise. In any case, what are birds raised for? Are they clocks to be fixed on the wall for people to look at?” he asked during the discussion on Joy FM.
The minister’s remarks reinforce the government’s broader commitment under the Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative to increase domestic poultry production, encourage the consumption of locally produced chicken, strengthen Ghana’s poultry value chain and reduce the country’s dependence on imported poultry products.
