A new partnership under the National Poultry Transformation Programme aims to process 20,000 tonnes of locally produced chicken annually in the first phase, with plans to increase production to 50,000 tonnes.
Running under the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Secretariat (24H+), the partnership is expected to generate 12,000 direct jobs.
The government signed a Heads of Terms agreement with four investment partners for a US$270 million National Poultry Transformation Programme.
The agreement was signed at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change in Accra. The event brings together UK-based agrifood investment company Agrium Capital, Petra Trust, Axis Pension Trust and Ghana EXIM Bank.
The investment is touted as the largest UK agrifood investment in Ghana to date and aims to support the development of an integrated poultry value chain covering feed production, breeding, hatchery operations, broiler farming, processing, cold-chain facilities, logistics and market access.
The agreement is part of initiatives intended to reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry products. The country currently spends approximately US$400 million annually on chicken and other poultry products. Increased local production is expected to retain a greater share of that expenditure within the Ghanaian economy while creating opportunities across the agricultural value chain.
Presidential Adviser on the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development, Augustus Goosie Tanoh, explained that the investment demonstrates the government’s strategy of leveraging both domestic and international capital to expand productive sectors.
“This is a purposeful blend of foreign private capital and Ghanaian private capital, aligned to build this industry at scale,” he said.
Economic Counsellor and Head of the Growth Team at the British High Commission, Simone Mousey, while welcoming the the agreement, said it is an opportunity to deepen commercial relations between Ghana and the United Kingdom, particularly in agriculture and agrifood.
Chief Executive Officer of Agrium Capital, Rod Bassett, said the investment reflected confidence in Ghana’s poultry industry and its capacity to contribute to food security, domestic production and value creation.
Country Director for Ghana at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, Sam Mensah-Baah, said the programme highlights the critical role of strong partnerships in turning Ghana’s economic ambitions into jobs, increased productivity, and sustainable growth.
