The Sunyani Poultry Farmers Association has accused the government of excluding key industry stakeholders from consultations ahead of the official launch of the ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’ poultry initiative.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, November 10, 2025, the Association’s Vice President, Johnson Yeboah, criticised what he described as government’s failure to honour its promise of engaging poultry farmers before rolling out the highly publicised programme.
“You hear successive governments talk about supporting the poultry industry, but they never engage those of us who are directly involved to understand our challenges and how to address them. The same thing is happening with the government’s ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’ initiative,” Mr. Yeboah said.
The government is expected to officially launch the ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’ programme on Wednesday, November 10, 2025. The initiative—first announced by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2024 election campaign—is designed to provide day-old chicks, feed, and veterinary services to households nationwide to promote local poultry production.
Read Also: Government requires GH¢500 million to address food glut – Agriculture Minister
Mr. Yeboah, however, said the Association has not been involved in any discussions or planning sessions, despite earlier assurances from the President that industry players would be consulted.
He also dismissed claims that government plans to distribute 80,000 birds to farmers, describing it as “lip service” and warning that such politically driven interventions risk backfiring if not properly managed.
“You cannot just throw birds into the system in the name of a campaign promise. People are reportedly going to their district assemblies to register for the programme, yet many of them are not poultry farmers. Without proper training or market channels, this could lead to serious problems, including disease outbreaks,” he cautioned.
Mr. Yeboah further lamented the worsening crisis of unsold eggs, which has left many poultry farmers in the Bono Region struggling financially.
“Some farmers have so many eggs on their farms that they are even digging holes to bury them. If the government truly wants to help, they should come down and engage with us directly,” he appealed.
Ghana’s poultry industry continues to face high feed costs, unstable market prices, and limited access to credit, challenges stakeholders insist must be addressed to make government interventions like the ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’ initiative both effective and sustainable.
Story By: Afia Ohenewaa Akyerem