Buy local or risk losing poultry industry

Ghana’s ambitious drive to revive its poultry industry is gaining ground. Still, the man coordinating the effort says its survival ultimately rests on a simple decision every Ghanaian makes at the market, which chicken to buy.

Bright Demordzi, National Coordinator of the Feed Ghana Programme, is urging Ghanaians to consciously choose locally raised chicken over imported alternatives, warning that without sustained consumer patronage, the government’s “Nkoko Nketenkete” initiative cannot achieve its full potential.

“The success of the programme depends largely on the willingness of Ghanaians to patronise locally produced chicken,” he said.

Launched by President John Dramani Mahama in Kumasi, the Nkoko Nketenkete initiative sits at the heart of the broader Feed Ghana Programme, a strategic push to wean the country off costly poultry imports, generate rural employment, and build a more resilient domestic food supply chain. Ghana currently spends millions of dollars annually on imported poultry, a trend Demordzi described as unsustainable.

Speaking to the Ghana News Agency in Kumasi, he made the case not just on economic grounds but on health ones too, noting that locally raised birds are fresher and less likely to have spent extended periods in cold storage, a concern he raised about some imported products.

So far, the programme has reached approximately 60,000 households across the country, with around three million birds distributed alongside feed support and technical training to strengthen productivity at the farm level.

Demordzi said the vision goes beyond simply putting chickens in people’s hands, the goal is to develop the entire value chain, from farm production through to processing, marketing, and eventual investment attraction into the sector. He also called on traditional authorities to lend their influence to the cause.

On the ground, early signs are encouraging. Ernest Mensah, a programme beneficiary near Kumasi, praised the government’s intervention and encouraged fellow recipients to make the most of the opportunity.

Still, stakeholders have flagged gaps that need to be addressed if local poultry is to compete seriously with imports, among them, the need for better cold storage infrastructure, improved marketing systems, and more competitive pricing to make Ghanaian chicken a practical first choice for everyday consumers.