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The government’s Feed Ghana Programme, an initiative to boost local production, ensure food security, and create jobs, is gradually taking shape with the take-off of the meat processing component.

The multi-purpose poultry and feed preceding factory, sited in Bechem in the Ahafo Region, is expected to be completed in 12 months as part of measures to revitalize Ghana’s poultry industry.

When operational at full throttle, it is expected to empower farmers, create jobs and ease Ghana’s reliance on imported poultry which costs the state between US$300 million to US$400 million in import substitution annually.

Breaking the ground on Thursday for the take-off of construction works, President Mahana said the project represents a decisive national step forward towards building an integrated and self-sustaining poultry value chain.

“This facility here in directly addresses these structural constraints. It is one of several anchor projects designed to reposition Ghana as a competitive player in the poultry and livestock industry,” he declared.

President Mahama said the Bechem poultry and feed processing facility has been conceived as a state-of-the-art agro-industrial hub to address Ghana’s poultry needs.

It has a modern feed processing plant, a hygienic meat processing unit equipped to meet both domestic and export standards, a training academy for young people, young farmers and technical personnel, dormitories and residential facilities to support long-term training, cold storage and dry warehouses to safeguard product quality and reduce losses.

“This is not merely an industrial plant, it’s a centre of excellence for poultry development, innovation, research and agribusiness incubation,” he stated.

According to President, the multipurpose meat processing factory would also serve as the catalyst for private sector investment in and around the Bechem enclave and a foundation for rural industrialization.

Similar processing plants, he disclosed, were planned to be replicated in other parts of the country to off-take the expected increased poultry production resulting from the poultry revitalisation programme.

“The facility guarantees a reliable offtake system for smallholder and commercial farmers. The investment directly supports our national goal of significantly reducing poultry imports and retaining value within our domestic economy.

“Agro-industrial facilities like this will operate continuously to ensure efficiency and output, demonstrating what a functional 24-hour economy looks like.”

To ensure a ready market for local poultry, President said he’s directed the School Feeding Programme to procure locally produced poultry for feeding our children in school.

“This will constitute a significant market for our local poultry industry,” a confident John Mahama said.

The success of otherwise of the facility said depended on the discipline, transparency, effective management, and strong community support.

The Minister for Food and Agriculture, whilst touting the impact the plant would have on the Feed Ghana Initiative said the facility would have a component to treats waste from the factory into fertiliser, feed for fisheries, and poultry.