Annual $400M Imports Of Chicken Is A Shame – President John Mahama

President John Dramani Mahama has expressed strong concern over Ghana’s annual importation of nearly $400 million worth of chicken, describing it as a national embarrassment. He emphasized the urgent need to revitalize the country’s poultry industry to reduce dependency on imports and enhance food security.

In response, President Mahama launched the “Feed Ghana Programme,” a comprehensive agricultural initiative aimed at boosting local food production. A key component of this programme is the “Nkokɔ Nkiti Nkiti” initiative, also known as the Poultry Farm to Table project. This initiative seeks to strengthen every stage of the poultry value chain, including hatcheries, feed mills, veterinary services, and processing centers.

Under this programme, the government plans to register 50 anchor farmers to produce four million birds, equivalent to 10,000 metric tonnes of chicken. Additionally, 55,000 households will be supported to rear 500 birds each annually, aiming to produce over one million birds per year. This approach is expected to improve nutrition and increase incomes, particularly for women and children.

President Mahama underscored that agriculture should be central to Ghana’s economic transformation, calling for bold and decisive actions to modernize the sector. He highlighted the importance of reducing over-reliance on food imports, which currently exceed $2 billion annually, to ensure economic stability and food security.

The “Feed Ghana Programme” also includes initiatives to boost the production of other vital commodities such as maize, rice, soya bean, tomato, onions, cassava, plantain, and yam. The government plans to establish farmer service centers, create farm banks, and promote urban farming to support these efforts.

This comprehensive approach aims to transform Ghana’s agricultural landscape, reduce import dependency, create jobs, and enhance food security across the nation.