The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. Eric Opoku, has outlined plans to link poultry farmers to the new Poultry, Meat and Feed Processing Plant under construction at Bechem in the Ahafo Region, emphasising its potential to expand the market for locally produced birds and strengthen Ghana’s poultry industry.
The Minister made this statement during a working visit by H. E. the President, John Dramani Mahama to assess progress on the project, which is approximately 50 per cent complete. The contractor, Agricultural Engineering Services Limited (AESL), is expected to complete the facility and make it operational by March 2027.
Explaining the facility’s design, Hon. Eric Opoku said the plant would have two processing lines, one for broilers and the other for layers, with a combined capacity of 6,000 birds per hour.
He noted that a reliable and timely supply of birds would be essential to sustain operations, adding that the Ministry plans to establish supply arrangements with poultry farmers in the surrounding regions.
“We want the factory to have contract agreements with farmers within Ashanti, Bono, Ahafo, Upper East and other surrounding regions, so that when they produce the birds, the factory will take them off and process them for the market,” he said.
The Minister also highlighted the progress of the Nkoko Nkitikiti programme, stating that Ghana’s domestic poultry production share had increased from 4.6 per cent to 22 per cent as of May 2026. He said the processing facility would further support local production by providing farmers with a structured market for their birds.
The President, John Mahama, said the factory would position Bechem as Ghana’s “Chicken Capital” when completed, attracting buyers from across the country.
“After the completion of this factory, Bechem will become the Chicken Capital of Ghana, because whoever wants chicken will come to Bechem to purchase,” he said.
The President encouraged young people to participate in the Nkoko Nketenkete programme, citing the anticipated market for locally raised birds. He also urged them to explore opportunities in poultry distribution, including investing in refrigerated vans to supply chicken meat to customers in other regions.
He further assured residents that the government would explore employment opportunities for local youth as the facility becomes operational, noting that young people from Bechem had already been engaged in the construction works.
President Mahama commended the traditional authorities and people of Bechem for their cooperation and support for the project.
The facility aligns with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture’s Feed Ghana Programme through the Nkoko Nkitikiti initiative, which seeks to increase domestic poultry production, strengthen local processing capacity, create jobs and reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry products.