President John Dramani Mahama has expressed optimism that Bechem in the Ahafo Region will become Ghana’s chicken capital when the ongoing poultry processing factory is completed and becomes operational.
The President said the facility would provide a ready market for locally raised poultry, create jobs for young people and strengthen Ghana’s domestic poultry industry.
He made the remarks during an inspection of ongoing construction works on the poultry processing factory at Bechem as part of his tour of the Ahafo Region.
President Mahama recalled that he visited the site last year to cut the sod for the project, explaining that the inspection was intended to assess progress and ensure that the contractor remained on course.
“When you assign a task to someone, it is important to return and inspect the progress of the work. That is why we are here today to see how far the project has advanced,” he said.
The President disclosed that consultants from AESL had briefed him on the progress of work and indicated that the project was approximately 50 per cent complete.
He said the consultants had assured the government that construction would be completed by the middle of 2027, paving the way for the commissioning of the facility.
“When this project is completed, Bechem will become the chicken capital of Ghana, as people from different parts of the country will come here to purchase locally processed chicken,” he stated.
Nkoko Nkitinkiti to supply factory
President Mahama urged the youth of Bechem to take advantage of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme, which he said would provide the poultry processing factory with a reliable supply of locally raised birds.
He explained that poultry farmers would be able to rear birds for approximately eight weeks and sell them to the factory for cash, providing them with a dependable market for their produce.
“I therefore encourage the youth of Bechem to prepare themselves and actively participate in the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme, because the factory will provide them with a ready market for their poultry,” he said.
The President also encouraged young entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in poultry trading by acquiring refrigerated vans to purchase processed chicken from the factory for distribution to other parts of the country.
He mentioned Tamale, Bolgatanga and other towns as potential markets for the products.
According to him, the initiative is designed to establish an integrated poultry value chain in which farmers, processors, distributors and retailers all benefit from the industry.
“This is what we mean by developing the entire value chain. We started with the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme to ensure that we have enough poultry to supply the processingyou factory when it becomes operational,” he explained.
President Mahama said it was important to establish a reliable supply of poultry before completing the processing facility to ensure that the factory could operate efficiently once commissioned.
He acknowledged that some beneficiaries had consumed birds raised under the programme instead of retaining them for the intended purpose but maintained that the government had sustained the initiative to increase the availability of locally produced chicken.
Responding to figures presented by the sector minister indicating that poultry production had increased by more than 22 per cent, the President said the reported growth was consistent with the progress of the programme.
He expressed confidence that more locally raised poultry would be available by the time the factory was completed.
Opportunities for farmers and traders
The President stressed that the poultry value chain would extend beyond production and processing, creating additional opportunities for suppliers, transporters, distributors and retailers.
He explained that agents could purchase live birds from farmers participating in the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme and supply them to the factory, while other entrepreneurs could buy processed chicken for distribution to markets across the country.
He also disclosed that the government would explore opportunities in guinea fowl production, particularly in northern Ghana, where the birds could be sourced, processed and supplied to consumers.
President Mahama said the approach was intended to develop a poultry industry that would provide farmers with reliable markets, processors with a steady supply of birds and traders with opportunities to expand their businesses.
Factory creates jobs for Bechem youth
President Mahama further revealed that the contractor had already employed approximately 100 young people from Bechem to work on the project, creating employment opportunities even before the factory became operational.
He assured residents that the youth of the community would receive special consideration when recruitment begins following the completion of construction.
“We want the people of this community, particularly the young people, to benefit directly from the investment,” he said.
The President expressed appreciation to the consultants, contractor, traditional authorities and residents of Bechem for their contributions towards the successful implementation of the project.
He reiterated the government’s objective of building a poultry industry that would support local production, expand employment opportunities and strengthen the market for Ghanaian poultry farmers.
The completion of the Bechem poultry processing factory is expected to provide critical processing infrastructure for the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme and support efforts to expand domestic poultry production and distribution.
Story: Patrick Asford Boadu
