Mr Gordon Asubonteng, the Deputy National Coordinator of the Feed Ghana programme says the implementation of the government’s flagship ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ initiative has started, with nationwide distribution of birds to poultry farmers.
President John Dramani Mahama launched the government’s flagship poultry revitalisation programme in 2025, a deliberate policy to curb the heavy importation of frozen chicken, which will involve distributing three million poultry birds.
It is designed to bring poultry production directly to the doorsteps of every Ghanaian, in homes, in schools and communities across the country.
Beneficiaries will receive birds, feed, and other supplies to start their poultry businesses, transforming subsistence into self-sustaining livelihoods.
Under phase one of the programme, each beneficiary will feed support and technical guidance to ensure the survival and sustainability of the project.
Speaking at the launch for the distribution to the birds in the Berekum Municipality of the Bono Region, Mr Asubonteng said each beneficiary farmer expected to receive 50 birds, saying that food security remained an integral component of the government’s reset Ghana agenda.
Besides, he explained the government’s dedication to improving the socio-economic livelihoods of the citizenry and enhancing the progressive growth of the poultry industry not only to cut short on imports but also stimulate job creation and poverty reduction.
Mr Asubonteng asked the various 275 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the country to leverage on the initiative and encourage and empower the teeming unemployed youth to engage in poultry production.
He said the government was distributing more than three million birds under the initiative, and urged beneficiaries to take proper care of the fowls, saying that would justify and inform the implementation of the second phase of the initiative.
Mr Apraku Lartey, the Head of Public Affairs at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) said the selection of beneficiary farmers was done devoid of partisan considerations, saying the ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ initiative was designed to benefit all Ghanaians irrespective of their political affiliation.
He reminded that the initiative did not primarily target poultry farmers, but also those interested to go into poultry production e policy was not primarily targeted at established poultry farmers but rather individuals who were willing to venture into poultry production.
Mr Lartey noted that increased local poultry production would help reduce the nation’s over-reliance on imported chicken and cut down government expenditure on poultry imports.
Some of the poultry farmers who spoke to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) commended the government for the initiative which would give life to the nation’s poultry sector.
Mr Cephas Boakye, a poultry farmer, noted that the free distribution of the birds would make the poultry sector more attractive, create jobs, and help alleviate the plight of many people.
He called on the government to set up poultry processing factories to provide a ready market for the farmers.
GNA
Edited by Dennis Peprah/Kenneth Odeng Adade
12 Feb 2026
Caption: Picture shows birds
