Government has renewed its plans to officially roll out the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme in the first week of October.

This follows concerns raised by stakeholders in the poultry industry after the Ministry of Food and Agriculture postponed the initial July launch due to limited consultation and engagement.

The initiative is designed to cut down the country’s heavy reliance on imported poultry, which costs Ghana over $300 million annually.

Addressing the media after the launch of the second phase of the West Africa Livestock Marketing Programme (PACBAO) organized by the ECOWAS Commission in Accra, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, assured poultry farmers that the revised launch date would be honored.

“Plans are at an advanced stage, and it is expected that by the first week of October, His Excellency the President will officially launch the programme. The media will be invited, after which distribution will begin across various constituencies to reach beneficiary farmers. We are finalizing the beneficiary list and completing procurement processes with contractors to supply the birds. Very soon, implementation will take off,” he stated.

The Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme is being positioned as a flagship intervention to empower local farmers and reduce the poultry import gap.

By supporting domestic production, the Ministry aims not only to save foreign exchange but also to create sustainable jobs, particularly for youth and women in rural communities.

Sompaonline.com