The Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, Hon. John Dumelo, has appealed to Ghanaians to patronize locally processed chicken and reduce dependence on imported poultry products, stressing that consuming local birds is key to stimulating economic growth and creating jobs.
According to him, it is in line with this vision that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) government, led by President John Dramani Mahama, has introduced the ‘Nkoko Nkiti-Nkiti’ Programme to complement Ghana’s existing poultry industry and boost local chicken production to meet rising public demand.
Hon. Dumelo made the call when he officially launched the Bono East Regional edition of the Nkoko Nkiti-Nkiti programme at Techiman, describing the initiative as a bold and strategic intervention aimed at revitalizing the poultry sector and creating sustainable employment opportunities for the youth.
He explained that the programme is expected to provide jobs for over 20,000 young people across the region, while strengthening food security and reducing the growing rate of youth unemployment.
The Deputy Minister noted that the Nkoko Nkiti-Nkiti initiative is designed to significantly boost agricultural productivity, improve livelihoods, and enhance the poultry value chain across Bono East.
He further revealed that each of the eleven (11) constituencies in the Bono East Region will receive 10,000 chicks in the first phase of implementation. The chicks will be distributed at 50 chicks per household to about 200 households per constituency.
Hon. Dumelo advised beneficiaries to ensure proper feeding and care for the birds to enable them to grow healthy and become suitable for consumption and commercial purposes in the near future. He also encouraged beneficiaries to expand their poultry capacity as production increases and market opportunities improve.
Meanwhile, the Bono East Regional Minister, Hon. Oheneba Francis Owusu Antwi, urged all Municipal and District Chief Executives (MDCEs) in the region to ensure effective supervision, transparency, and accountability to guarantee the success of the programme.
He further appealed for increased government and stakeholder support toward the establishment of a cattle ranch in the region, as well as the provision of essential farm inputs to strengthen local farming activities and improve food production.
Story: Nyamebeye Kofi Ansah Sasraku