By Emmanuel Gamson
Takoradi, Aug. 11, GNA – A poultry farmer has appealed to the Government to establish poultry markets and processing centres under the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme to facilitate the marketing of birds and ensure the long-term sustainability of the initiative.
Mr Thomas Cudjoe, a poultry farmer and Lecturer at the Department of Marketing of the Takoradi Technical University (TTU), said the establishment of such facilities would provide ready market access for beneficiaries while creating jobs along the poultry production value chain.
Speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA), he said the availability of dedicated poultry markets would enable beneficiaries to readily sell their birds upon maturity.
“If we want the Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme to be really successful and sustainable, then I think the government should help establish market centres so that beneficiaries can easily sell their birds upon maturity.
“Because sometimes most of these beneficiaries may not know where to take their birds to when they are ready for sale, and this can result in they themselves eating the chicken instead of selling and investing back into the business,” he said.
According to him, such situations could undermine the programme’s objectives of job creation, income generation and livelihood empowerment.
He, therefore, urged the Government to establish poultry markets and processing centres to support farmers, strengthen the domestic poultry industry and sustain the initiative over the long term.
The Nkoko Nkitinkiti Programme is one of the Government’s flagship initiatives aimed at boosting local poultry production and reducing the country’s dependence on imported poultry products.
Under the programme, the Government distributes poultry birds and other inputs to poultry farmers and prospective entrepreneurs to support the establishment and expansion of poultry enterprises across the country.
GNA
Edited by Justina Hilda Paaga/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Emmanuel Gamson
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