Minister responds to critics, says government’s role is to empower private poultry farmers rather than operate state-run farms.
The Minister for Food and Agriculture and Member of Parliament for Asunafo South, Hon. Eric Opoku, has disclosed that the government’s flagship poultry revitalization and backyard farming initiative, popularly known as “Nkoko Nkitinkiti,” is already producing significant results across the country.
According to the Minister, the initiative has led to a sharp increase in local chicken production, created employment opportunities, and positioned Ghana on a path toward reducing its heavy dependence on imported frozen poultry products.
Hon. Eric Opoku made these remarks during a working and familiarization visit to P & A African Food International Ltd in Accra on Friday, June 19, where he strongly defended the programme against critics who argue that the government has not procured enough day-old chicks to make a meaningful national impact.
Responding to the criticism, the Minister explained that the government’s strategy is focused on empowering private individuals and commercial entities rather than directly engaging in state-controlled farming operations.
“Recently, I heard people saying that the government did not buy enough chicks to expand the ‘Nkoko Nkitinkiti’ initiative, so it cannot solve the problem of heavy importation of chicken into the country,” Hon. Eric Opoku stated.
“But the truth is that government does not do farming here in Ghana like what is happening in countries such as Russia and Belarus, where governments secure land, establish processing plants, and employ people to manage them,” he added.
He emphasized that Ghana’s agricultural sector is largely driven by private enterprise, with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) playing a supportive role by creating a conducive environment for businesses and households to invest in poultry production.
“In our part of the world, it is individuals and the private sector who do the farming. Government only comes in to support and help grow their businesses. If you focus only on the birds distributed by government, you will get it wrong,” he stressed.
The Minister further revealed that the overwhelming public response to the Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative has resulted in a significant increase in mature local birds, compelling the government to strengthen the poultry processing and off-take value chain.
As part of efforts to address the growing demand, government is establishing a dedicated poultry processing plant in Bechem to support the industry.
Additionally, financial and logistical support is being extended to private poultry processing companies to enable them to purchase and process birds directly from participating farmers across the country.
The Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative forms a key component of the broader Feed Ghana Programme, which seeks to achieve 75 percent chicken self-sufficiency in Ghana.
Under the initiative, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture implemented a multi-tiered distribution strategy targeting households, commercial farmers, and community farming groups.
Registered households received 50 broiler chicks, poultry feed, and technical support to begin backyard poultry farming.
In addition, 50 selected large-scale “anchor farmers” each received 80,000 chicks, housing facilities, and logistics support to boost commercial production.
Overall, more than seven million chicks have reportedly been distributed across all 276 constituencies nationwide under the programme.
Hon. Eric Opoku reiterated that sustainable agricultural transformation can only be achieved through strong partnerships between government and the private sector rather than total state control.
He expressed optimism that with continued public participation, improved processing infrastructure, and sustained government support, the country would significantly reduce poultry imports, strengthen food security, and position itself as a leading poultry production hub within the West African sub-region.
By 1960news.com
