Ghana’s Poultry Sector on Edge as Flagship Project Stalls

Ghana’s poultry farmers are growing restless as silence surrounds the much-publicized Nkoko Nkitinkiti Project. Announced with fanfare and expected to begin last month, the initiative was designed to transform local poultry production, support more than 55,000 households, and provide thousands of jobs for young people. Instead, it has been left hanging in uncertainty, creating anxiety among farmers whose livelihoods depend on its timely rollout.

Source: poultry World

At the heart of the project is a mission to drastically cut Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry, a bill that drains over $300 million from the national economy every year. By strengthening local production, the government promised to bolster food security, empower rural communities, and reposition poultry farming as a profitable, sustainable industry. Yet weeks after the expected launch, farmers say they have been left in the dark, with no explanation, no new date, and no indication of progress.

For poultry farmers, timing is everything. The president of the Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association, Kwame Anim Somuah, has warned that uncertainty could bring devastating losses. With poultry rearing tied to strict production cycles, farmers now face the risk of raising birds to maturity without access to markets, leaving them with unsold stock and rising costs. The lack of clarity, he explained, makes planning almost impossible and erodes confidence in the industry’s future.

The government has described the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Project as a cornerstone of its agricultural revival agenda. President Mahama himself highlighted its importance in his national address, stressing value addition and processing as key to transforming Ghana’s food systems. But with farmers struggling against high feed prices, growing operational expenses, and unrelenting competition from cheaper imported poultry, patience is wearing thin. Without urgent action, what was meant to be a turning point could instead become another missed opportunity.