Eric Opoku
Some beneficiaries of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti poultry programme have slaughtered and eaten the chickens they received instead of raising them for commercial production, the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has revealed.
Appearing before Parliament’s Assurance Committee on Thursday, Mr. Opoku disclosed that some beneficiaries had even sent him videos of themselves eating the birds, despite the programme being designed to help households generate sustainable incomes through poultry farming.
“Some also decided to kill and eat all. In fact, they were even sending me videos that, Honourable, we are eating everything. But this is not meant for that immediate consumption. We wanted people to rear them, sell them and reinvest so that it becomes a sustainable venture,” he said.
The Minister explained that the Nkoko Nkitinkiti initiative was introduced to promote local poultry production, improve household incomes and reduce the country’s dependence on imported chicken by encouraging beneficiaries to rear the birds for commercial purposes.
Although he said the government did not encourage beneficiaries to consume the birds immediately, Mr Opoku noted that increased consumption of locally produced poultry could still have a positive impact by promoting a taste for locally raised chicken.
“Even though we don’t encourage that because we wanted them to capitalise on this to earn something for their livelihoods, if that is what they have decided to do, it also helps if they are able to build a good taste for locally produced poultry,” he added.
Providing an update on the programme, the Minister said the government had procured three million birds for distribution to nearly 80,000 households nationwide.
He said 200 beneficiaries would be selected from each constituency, with the chicks first being brooded and vaccinated before distribution to minimise mortality rates.
According to him, the programme has already been rolled out in 11 regions and is being extended to the five regions of the north following what he described as a successful pilot phase.
Mr. Opoku also disclosed that the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had begun procuring birds for Members of Parliament (MPs) under the initiative as part of efforts to encourage lawmakers to invest in poultry production.
He said a formal proposal would soon be presented to Parliament for approval, although preparations for the initiative were already far advanced.
“I will soon table a proposal before Parliament for consideration. If Parliament agrees, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture will support all parliamentarians to go into poultry production,” he said.
The Minister explained that MPs were being targeted because of their potential to expand poultry businesses and attract investment into the sector.
Describing poultry farming as a profitable venture, Mr. Opoku, who said he is also a poultry farmer, urged legislators to take advantage of the opportunity.
He further disclosed that about 67 percent of MPs are already engaged in farming, stressing that many lawmakers have significant interests in agriculture beyond their legislative responsibilities.
.By Ernest Kofi Adu, Parliament House