Bechem poultry project to cut imports by half • Create jobs, boost local production - Agric Minister

Ghana's Minister of Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, announced that the government's flagship poultry project, the "Integrated and self-sustaining poultry value chain facility" in Bechem, Ahafo Region, is 50 percent complete. This $15 million complex is projected to significantly reduce Ghana's poultry imports by more than half and strengthen the domestic poultry industry upon its expected completion next year.

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The $15 million integrated poultry and feed processing complex, expected to be completed next year, is projected to cut Ghana’s poultry imports by more than half while strengthening the local industry.

Implemented under the Feed Ghana Programme, the facility aims to establish a sustainable poultry value chain, empower local farmers, and substantially decrease the nation's annual poultry import bill, which currently stands at approximately $350 million. Minister Opoku described the Bechem facility as a crucial intervention to reverse this trend, create jobs, and enhance national food security. The government is committed to achieving self-sufficiency in poultry production by 2029.

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Ghana currently imports about $350 million worth of poultry and poultry products annually, describing the Bechem facility as a strategic intervention to reverse the trend, create jobs and enhance national food security.

The Poultry Industry Revitalisation Initiative, associated with this project, is anticipated to generate around 10,000 direct and indirect jobs. The Bechem facility will feature a comprehensive setup, including a feed processing plant for affordable, high-quality feed, a meat processing unit compliant with domestic and export standards, a hatchery, cold storage facilities, a fertilizer manufacturing unit, and a training academy for young farmers, complete with dormitories. Each production line is designed to process 3,000 birds per hour, with one line dedicated to layers and the other to broilers.

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The government remained on course to make Ghana self-sufficient in poultry production by 2029.

Furthermore, the project emphasizes resource utilization, with plans to process eggshells for feed production, providing essential calcium. The ministry has also secured an agreement with a private soybean processing firm to establish a plant in Tamale, ensuring a consistent supply of inputs for the poultry facility and creating a guaranteed market for soybean outgrowers. This integrated approach aims to reduce feed costs, a major expense in poultry farming, and support the entire value chain.

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The facility would include a feed processing plant to produce affordable, high-quality feed; a meat processing unit to meet domestic and export standards; a hatchery; cold storage facilities; a fertiliser manufacturing unit; a training academy for young farmers; and dormitories.