Farmer appeals for poultry processing plant in Asene Manso Akroso

Edward Ansah, an agripreneur in the Eastern Region's Asene Manso Akroso District, has urged the government to construct a poultry processing plant in the area to tackle marketing issues faced by local poultry farmers. The processing plant would provide a consistent market for farmers, enhance the poultry value chain, and make poultry farming more appealing to young people.

As a Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative beneficiary, Mr Ansah, who manages 15,000 birds at G.F. Farms, highlighted marketing as a significant challenge in the district. Consumers favor processed poultry meat from cold stores over live birds, making it tough for farmers to sell their products. Therefore, Mr Ansah called on the government to establish a poultry processing and distribution facility, which would create a stable market for locally-produced poultry and encourage more youth to engage in the sector, reducing unemployment in the region.

He emphasized that investment in poultry processing should be prioritized alongside initiatives to increase local poultry production to reduce the country's reliance on costly broiler imports. Mr Ansah appreciated the government's support through the Poultry Intensification Scheme, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture's Feed Ghana Programme, and the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme, which provided financial assistance, equipment, and training.

However, he urged the government to ensure timely grant payments to help beneficiaries plan effectively and maintain their farming activities, adding that the processing facility would complement existing government efforts to strengthen the poultry value chain from production to processing and distribution.