President John Dramani Mahama has inspected ongoing construction of the Poultry, Meat and Feed Processing Factory at Bechem in the Ahafo Region, declaring that the facility will transform the town into Ghana’s chicken capital and anchor a revitalised domestic poultry industry.
The inspection formed part of day one of the President’s two-day “Resetting Ghana” tour of the Ahafo Region. He was accompanied by the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, and other government officials.
Production surges from 4.6% to 22%
Briefing the President, Agric Minister Eric Opoku disclosed that Ghana’s domestic poultry production had increased from 4.6 per cent to 22 per cent as of May 2026, following the implementation of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme under the broader Feed Ghana initiative.
“Your Excellency, after one year of the implementation of the programme, Ghana’s domestic poultry production has increased from 4.6 per cent, as we inherited, to 22 per cent as of May 2026,” Mr Opoku said. “This has never happened in the history of our country.”
The minister said the programme had also generated a sustained surplus of eggs in the local market for nearly a year, prompting the government to explore export markets. Following a presidential directive, he and the Minister of Trade travelled to Burkina Faso for negotiations, where they encountered over 20 trucks loaded with eggs stranded at the border. Clearance was subsequently granted, and Ghana has since been exporting eggs to Burkina Faso.
Mr Opoku said exports alone would not absorb the surplus. The government is therefore working with the Ministry of Education to include eggs in meals served under the School Feeding Programme, in line with a directive from the President.
Factory 58% complete, operational by Q1 2027
The facility, which the President cut the sod for on November 27, 2025, was reported to be 58 per cent complete at the time of inspection. The Agric Minister said the contractor had given the assurance that the project would be completed and operationalised by the close of the first quarter of 2027.
The $15 million integrated poultry and feed processing complex is projected to cut Ghana’s poultry imports by more than half. Ghana currently imports about $350 million worth of poultry and poultry products annually.
When fully operational, the facility will have two processing lines dedicated to broilers and layers, with a combined capacity of 6,000 birds per hour. It will also include a feed processing plant to produce affordable, high-quality feed; a hatchery to produce day-old chicks for distribution to farmers; cold storage facilities; a fertiliser manufacturing unit; and a training academy for young farmers.
Bechem to become chicken capital
President Mahama expressed satisfaction with the progress of work and urged the youth of Bechem and surrounding communities to take advantage of the opportunities emerging from the project.
“When this factory is completed, Bechem will become the chicken capital of Ghana, and so I encourage all the youth in and around Bechem to take up poultry farming, take advantage of the Feed Ghana programme,” the President said. “Along the poultry value chain, the youth could even buy processed chicken from the factory for sale in other parts of the country.”
He explained that under the Nkoko Nkitinkiti arrangement, farmers could rear birds for about eight weeks before selling them to the factory, providing them with a ready market. He acknowledged that some participants had consumed their birds instead of selling them, but said the government had sustained the programme, with more locally raised chicken becoming available to consumers.
The President said linking poultry production to processing capacity would help address gaps in the local market by connecting farmers to processors and creating opportunities for traders to distribute processed chicken across the country, including to Tamale and Bolgatanga.
Local community embraces project
The Nifahene of Bechem, Awuah Boadi, commended the President for the project and expressed optimism that it would create additional employment opportunities for young people in the area. He noted that the factory had already employed some residents.
The project forms part of the government’s broader efforts under the Feed Ghana Programme to increase domestic food production, create jobs and strengthen Ghana’s agricultural and agro-processing sectors. The Poultry Industry Revitalisation Initiative is expected to create about 10,000 direct and indirect jobs, with the government targeting self-sufficiency in poultry production by 2029.
The Bechem facility is one of several agro-processing investments under the Feed Ghana Programme aimed at reducing the country’s reliance on imported chicken and building an integrated poultry value chain in which increased local production is matched by processing capacity and reliable distribution channels.
