President John Dramani Mahama has inspected ongoing works on the Poultry, Meat and Feed Processing Plant at Bechem in the Ahafo Region, as part of his Resetting Ghana tour. The President cut the sod for the project about a year ago and expressed satisfaction with the progress of work, which he was told had reached about 50 per cent. He commended Architecture and Engineering Services Limited (AESL), the consultants for the project.
The President stated that when completed, the factory would position Bechem as the chicken capital of Ghana. He encouraged all the youth in and around Bechem to take up poultry farming, take advantage of the Feed Ghana programme, and buy processed chicken from the factory for sale in other parts of the country. The Minister of Agriculture, Eric Opoku, briefed the President on the project's progress.
According to Minister Eric Opoku, work on the project is around 50 per cent complete, and all certificates have been paid. The contractor has given an assurance that by the close of the first quarter of 2027, the project would be completed and operationalised. The plant would have two processing lines, including one for layers with a combined capacity of 6,000 eggs per hour.
The factory would require a constant supply of chickens to keep running for 24 hours, hence plans are afoot for the facility to enter into contract agreements with farmers across the Ashanti, Bono, Upper East, and other regions for the off-taking and processing of their produce for the market. The factory would also provide cold storage for the farmers. Minister Opoku disclosed that the country's domestic poultry production had increased from 4.7 per cent to 22 per cent as of May 2026.
Minister Eric Opoku described the feat as unprecedented in the history of the country, adding that the programme had also resulted in a sustained glut of eggs in the country for almost one year. The Minister of Food and Agriculture recounted that following a directive by President Mahama, he and the Minister of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry travelled to Burkina Faso for negotiations to export Ghana's eggs.
The Bechem facility would include a feed production component, with the shells from the processing lines to be used in feed production, as well as a hatchery to produce day-old chicks for distribution to farmers to sustain the programme. Additionally, two trucks are being procured under the contract for the distribution of packaged and branded broilers to the market. A private operator would manage the facility to maximise efficiency.
President Mahama also inspected a number of projects, including a CHPS Compound at Ahyiaem in the Tano North Municipality. The President's tour aims to monitor progress and encourage youth to take up poultry farming.
Key points
- President John Dramani Mahama aims to make Bechem the chicken capital of Ghana.
- The poultry plant's construction is 50% complete and expected to be finished by the first quarter of 2027.
- Ghana's domestic poultry production has increased to 22% as of May 2026.
