• Agriculture Ministry hires consultant with Agri-Impact, Mastercard Foundation

• Plan aims to boost production, jobs, and investment by 2026

• Local output meets only 18% of chicken consumption, USDA says

Ghana’s Ministry of Agriculture has hired a consultant to develop a master plan for the poultry sector. According to local media reports on February 9, the process is being carried out in partnership with Agri-Impact Limited, an agricultural advisory and project management firm, and the Mastercard Foundation.

Once implemented, the master plan is expected to serve as a roadmap to increase production, improve competitiveness, reduce import dependence, create jobs, and guide public and private investment across the poultry value chain. The drafting process is scheduled for completion in 2026, following consultations and technical validation with industry stakeholders in the Northern, Middle Belt, and Southern regions, which are the country’s main production areas.

A sector in decline

Ghana’s poultry industry, which in the 1980s and 1990s met up to 80% of domestic chicken demand, has weakened significantly in recent years. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Ghana produced about 60,000 tons of chicken meat in 2023, covering only 18% of total consumption estimated at 330,000 tons.

Industry players attribute the decline to several factors, including high feed costs, limited availability of day-old chicks, and insufficient infrastructure across the value chain. Gaps remain in hatcheries, feed mills, processing facilities, and cold chain systems.

“We still need much more investment. Data show that we have likely not tapped even 30% of the country’s investment potential. The industry must be driven by technology and innovation. How do we apply innovation and technology to farm management? Remote sensing, disease detection… These tools allow farms to be monitored remotely,” said Abraham Sarfo, agribusiness and value chain specialist at Agri-Impact Limited, in remarks reported by the Ghana Broadcasting Corporation.

In February 2025, the government launched the “Poultry Farm to the Table Program” to support sector recovery. The initiative includes measures to improve access to credit, affordable poultry feed, training, and improved broiler breeds for local farmers.

Stéphanas Assocle