Poultry prices are expected to go up by at least 15 per cent ahead of the Christmas festivities, as farmers cite rising feed costs and expensive imported production inputs.
The Greater Accra Poultry Farmers Association says the increasing cost of maize, soya and other feed ingredients, coupled with higher freight charges, is putting pressure on production costs and could push up prices during the festive season.
Chief Executive of the Association, Mohammed Ali, said the projected increase could make poultry products more expensive for consumers at a time when demand typically rises.
The warning comes as Deputy Minister of Agriculture, John Dumelo, blames middlemen for making locally produced chicken more expensive than imported alternatives, undermining efforts to strengthen Ghana’s poultry industry.
Speaking on behalf of the government at a poultry round-table discussion in Accra on Monday, October 26, 2026, Mr Dumelo said intermediaries often buy poultry from farmers at relatively low prices but sell it to consumers at significantly higher prices.
He said the practice was making locally produced poultry less competitive and limiting consumers’ ability to afford Ghanaian chicken.
One thing that is of concern to me is the cost of producing poultry. If you look at the cost of production, the number of middlemen that carry it to the consumer, so yes, even though the farmer sells at affordable prices, maybe GHC80 before it gets to the final consumer, it is around GHC 200, and so let’s look at it,” he noted.
“We are taking the poultry sector very seriously,” he said.
Mr Dumelo explained that consumers’ limited access to farmers was contributing to the high retail prices of locally produced poultry, leaving domestic producers at a disadvantage against imported products.
His comments come amid concerns about Ghana’s heavy reliance on imported poultry and the need to improve the competitiveness of local producers.
The Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, Hans Akerboom, disclosed at the meeting that approximately 80 per cent of Ghana’s poultry supply was imported.
He further revealed that Ghana imported poultry worth approximately €18 million from the Netherlands alone in 2024, in addition to supplies from countries including Belgium, the United States and Brazil.
The figures underscore the challenges facing Ghana’s poultry industry and the need to strengthen local production, improve market access and encourage investment across the value chain.
Ghana, Netherlands strengthen poultry cooperation
As part of efforts to address the industry’s challenges, Mr Dumelo and Mr Akerboom signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen cooperation between Ghana and the Netherlands in the poultry sector.
The agreement is expected to provide a framework for collaboration aimed at supporting the development of Ghana’s domestic poultry industry.
The Netherlands has pledged to support Ghana through technical expertise, knowledge exchange, innovation and investment.
Mr Akerboom said the partnership would seek to create conditions for Ghanaian poultry farmers to expand their businesses, supply the domestic market consistently and benefit from existing demand.
He said the Netherlands’ experience in developing its poultry industry through sustained investment in knowledge and innovation could offer useful lessons for Ghana.
The partnership also aligns with the government’s Feed Ghana programme and its 24-hour economy initiative, which seek to expand agricultural production and create opportunities for business growth.
However, the projected Christmas price increase highlights the immediate cost pressures confronting poultry farmers, even as the government pursues longer-term measures to reduce import dependence and improve the competitiveness of locally produced chicken.
Ghana Secures $270m Poultry Deal
In a related development, Ghana has secured a $270 million agreement with a United Kingdom (UK) agrifood investment company, Agrium Capital to invest in the country’s poultry revitalisation project.
Agrium Capital signed the agreement with the 24-Hour Economy and Accelerated Export Development Programme (24H+) in London on Thursday, October 22, 2026, after they earlier signed the Heads of Terms on August 22, this year.
Other partners, including Petra Trust, Axis Pension Trust, and Ghana EXIM Bank, were there to witness the signing ceremony, which ushers the investment plan to the next phase of project development.
Known as the addendum, the partnership will lend the technical and investment work required to turn the framework into a productive poultry industry.
The project implementation is expected to significantly boost domestic poultry production, strengthen food security, create 12,000 direct jobs and reduce Ghana’s annual $400 million import bill for chicken and poultry products.
The output of the first phase is projected at 20,000 tonnes of dressed and processed broiler products annually, capable of being increased to 50,000 tonnes.
