Speaking on Daybreak Hitz, the rapper said he wants to expand his business interests beyond music.

“I do maize and cassava farming. I am ready to jump into the ‘nkokor nketenkete’ to start a poultry farm, so the government can help me,” he said.

Kwaw Kese explained that surviving on music alone in Ghana is difficult, hence his decision to diversify. Apart from farming, he runs an automobile business and an eatery.

The Nkokor Nketenkete project is a government initiative under the Feed Ghana flagship programme. It aims to revive Ghana’s poultry industry by boosting local production of broiler chickens and eggs to reduce dependence on imports.

The initiative targets about 55,000 households to participate in egg and poultry production. The government plans to provide day-old chicks, battery cages, feed, vaccines, and other essentials to households and small- to medium-scale producers, along with technical support.

A pilot phase will begin in selected districts, including 12 in the Northern Region, before expanding nationwide.

The project also includes an “anchor farmers” component involving about 50 large or medium-scale commercial farmers, each expected to raise around 80,000 birds.

Its long-term goal is to produce enough poultry domestically to meet nearly all of Ghana’s demand within three years, cutting down the country’s heavy poultry import bill.

Source: Kwame Dadzie 

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Describing the situation as a national embarrassment, the President reiterated his administration’s commitment to supporting 54 individuals to produce four million birds, equivalent to 10,000 metric tons of chicken, under a targeted initiative to boost local poultry production.

President Mahama made the announcement during the launch of the government’s Feed Ghana Programme, a flagship agricultural initiative, at Techiman in the Bono East Region.

He explained that the programme aims to enhance livestock development, focusing on cattle, goats, and sheep, as well as providing farmers with access to high-quality breeds to strengthen Ghana’s livestock industry.

The President also revealed that the livestock component will prioritize the development of agro production enclaves and infrastructure, including irrigation systems, improved roads, reliable power supply, and warehousing facilities to attract private investment.

“Through this programme, we seek to not only expand production but also ensure the processing and market readiness of agricultural produce,” he emphasized.

As part of the launch, President Mahama presented maize seeds, fertilizers, a Kia truck, and tractors to institutions such as the Ghana Prisons Service and the National Service Authority to facilitate the programme’s rollout.

Calling for unity in the sector, President Mahama described the Feed Ghana Programme as a “proactive initiative” rather than just another policy, and urged farmers, agribusinesses, financial institutions, and development partners to collaborate to ensure its success.

The programme is designed to implement strategic measures to scale up food production, encourage the adoption of modern farming techniques, improve infrastructure, and establish agro-industrial zones nationwide.

Key interventions include the creation of Farmer Service Centres across the country, which will offer mechanization services, quality inputs, financial assistance, market access, primary processing, and training for farmers.

President Mahama also announced the establishment of farm banks, or land banks, in designated irrigable zones to support young agri-entrepreneurs and help increase national food production.

Additionally, the programme will target grains and legumes such as maize, rice, soya beans, and sorghum for both domestic consumption and export.

Another pillar of the programme, the Vegetable Development Project — dubbed Yeredua — seeks to cut down on vegetable imports by promoting local cultivation through controlled environmental farming methods, including greenhouse technologies and urban agriculture.

The President also emphasized the role of schools in promoting backyard gardening to encourage self-sufficiency in vegetable production.

Furthermore, the initiative will support institutional farming, allowing households, communities, and Senior High Schools to cultivate vegetables and livestock for enhanced food security.

The fifth component of the programme focuses on revitalizing Ghana’s poultry industry through the “Nkoko Nketenkete” project, aimed at empowering local farmers and reducing dependence on poultry imports.

Speaking during the vetting of Agriculture Minister-designate, Eric Opoku, Mr Markin described it as a potential solution to the country’s high youth unemployment rate.

Mr. Afenyo-Markin noted that, as an entrepreneur, he recognises the pressure the youth unemployment crisis places on the political class and believes the programme could offer a viable solution.

“I heard it from President, Mahma, and for me as an entrepreneur, knowing the pressure from our youth on all of us as a political class, beyond the political rhetoric, I believe that if it [nkoko nketenkete] is implemented, it will help the youth because a lot of them are dejected in this country. They don’t have jobs, and the pressure is on us,” he stated.

The Nkoko Nketenkete programme, which forms part of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto, aims to boost poultry production and create jobs for the youth through enhanced support for poultry farmers, affordable feed production, and expanded veterinary services.

Meanwhile, Mr Opoku has indicated that the initiatives would build on existing programmes.

“This is not a new programme; it is an ongoing initiative that we intend to improve. For instance, in the 2020 budget, the government outlined certain measures, but we will go further by adding credit facilities and deploying more veterinary services to achieve tangible results,” he explained.