President John Dramani Mahama has inspected the ongoing construction of the Poultry, Meat and Feed Processing Plant at Bechem in the Ahafo Region. The project, which began about a year ago, has reached approximately 50 per cent completion. During the inspection, President Mahama commended Architecture and Engineering Services Limited (AESL), the consultants for the project, for the progress made so far.
The President emphasized the importance of monitoring and inspecting projects like this to ensure their timely completion. He encouraged the youth in and around Bechem to take up poultry farming, leveraging the Feed Ghana programme and the opportunities that the processing plant would offer. According to President Mahama, when completed, the factory would position Bechem as the chicken capital of Ghana.
The Minister of Agriculture, Eric Opoku, briefed President Mahama on the project's progress, stating that work was around 50 per cent complete and that all certificates had been paid. He mentioned that although there were some delays, the contractor had assured that the project would be completed and operational by the close of the first quarter of 2027.
The Bechem facility would have two processing lines, including one for layers with a combined capacity of 6,000 eggs per hour. When operational, the factory would require a constant supply of chickens, prompting plans for contract agreements with farmers across various regions for the off-taking and processing of their produce.
Minister Eric Opoku highlighted the gains of the ‘Nkokɔ Nketenkete’ programme, revealing that Ghana's domestic poultry production had increased from 4.7 per cent to 22 per cent as of May 2026. He described this feat as unprecedented in the country's history, adding that the programme had resulted in a sustained glut of eggs for almost a year.
To address the egg glut, the Minister of Food and Agriculture disclosed that plans were underway to add eggs to the School Feeding Programme for all schools under the programme. Additionally, the Bechem facility would include a feed production component, a hatchery to produce day-old chicks, and two trucks for distributing packaged and branded broilers to the market.
President Mahama also inspected other projects, including a CHPS Compound at Ahyiaem in the Tano North Municipality. The President's tour aimed to monitor progress and encourage the youth to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the poultry processing plant.
Key points
- The project's completion is expected to make Bechem the chicken capital of Ghana.
- Ghana's domestic poultry production has increased to 22 per cent as of May 2026.
- The processing plant would have a combined capacity of 6,000 eggs per hour.
