Mr George Batse, Tema Metropolitan Director of Agriculture, has called on residents in Tema who possess valid Ghana Cards to register for the government’s ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ poultry support programme.
Mr Batse announced that the Tema Metropolitan Assembly had received 10,000 ‘Nkoko Nketenkete’ day-old chicks as part of the initiative to boost local poultry production within communities in the metropolis.
He explained in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the birds were currently being kept by service providers in Tema for four weeks to allow for brooding and proper care before distribution to registered beneficiaries.
He noted that the programme formed part of a nationwide initiative aimed at strengthening local poultry production, reducing Ghana’s estimated 400-million-dollar annual chicken import bill, and enhancing household income and food security.
According to him, the initiative provides beneficiaries with birds, feed, and technical support to ensure the success of their poultry enterprises.
Mr Batse disclosed that the broader programme seeks to distribute three million birds to about 60,000 households across 276 constituencies nationwide to improve access to affordable protein and create employment opportunities.
He stated that the programme particularly targets women, youth, and vulnerable households to promote sustainable livelihoods and economic empowerment.
Each registered beneficiary in Tema, he said, would receive a specified number of birds together with feed and technical assistance to enable them to establish small-scale poultry businesses.
Mr Batse added that the initiative was aligned with the government’s broader “Feed Ghana Programme”, which seeks to enhance food sovereignty and strengthen the local agricultural value chain.
He therefore urged interested residents to take advantage of the opportunity by registering promptly to benefit from the distribution exercise when it commences.
By Comfort Sena Fetrie-Akagbor, GNA