Dr Peter Boamah Otokunor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, denied claims that Ghana’s Nkokonkitinkiti poultry policy has failed, calling such assertions "defective". He made the remarks during an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Channel One TV’s Face to Face on Tuesday, November 10.
Otokunor explained that the Nkokonkitinkiti intervention is part of President John Dramani Mahama’s broader Poultry Farm to the Table initiative, aimed at reviving the country’s poultry industry through both household and commercial production models. He said the programme remains on track to achieve its objectives.
The household component seeks to give families alternative income sources and better access to poultry by supporting backyard bird rearing. The commercial arm supplies existing farms with chicks, feed and medication to boost output. Otokunor highlighted an integrated approach that includes investment in processing facilities, such as the newly constructed Bechem Poultry Processing Plant, to ensure that increased production translates into value addition and job creation.
"When you are growing the poultry industry, and you don’t do it in an integrated manner where industry value addition can be done, processing can be done, then you would be joking," he said. He added that the programme aims to raise domestic poultry production and cut Ghana’s estimated $500 million annual spend on imports.
Otokunor also noted that the household component equips beneficiaries with skills to expand into small- and medium-scale poultry businesses, enabling them to sell birds, reinvest profits and grow operations. "We are looking for people who can transform this intervention into businesses that will create jobs for others," he added.
As the policy moves forward, the government will continue to monitor progress and adjust support mechanisms to meet changing consumer preferences for products beyond whole chickens, such as wings, feet, thighs and breasts.
