John Dumelo signs poultry MoU with Netherlands to boost local production

Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture John Dumelo has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Netherlands to revitalize Ghana’s poultry sector and reduce reliance on foreign meat. The agreement, signed as an addendum to the Ghana-Netherlands Food and Agriculture Working Group, focuses on increasing domestic capacity through collaborative investment and technical expertise. The partnership comes as the government intensifies efforts to stabilize food prices and improve national food security.

Speaking at a roundtable discussion in Accra, the Netherlands Ambassador to Ghana, H.E. Hans Akerboom, highlighted the scale of Ghana's import dependence, noting that approximately 80% of the country’s poultry supply is currently imported. In 2024 alone, the Netherlands exported ‑18 million worth of poultry to Ghana. Ambassador Akerboom emphasized that expanding local production is essential for job creation and improving the livelihoods of Ghanaian farmers, pledging Dutch support to transform the sector into a more robust and self-sufficient industry.

Deputy Minister Dumelo addressed the economic hurdles facing the industry, specifically blaming middlemen for the high cost of locally produced chicken. He noted that these intermediaries often purchase poultry from farmers at low rates and significantly inflate prices before they reach consumers, making imported chicken appear more affordable than local alternatives. To combat this, the government is utilizing the "Nkoko Nkitinkiti" initiative under the Feed Ghana Programme, which was launched in November 2025. The initiative has already seen the distribution of 2.5 million birds to farmers across the country.

The strategic goal of these combined efforts is to reduce poultry imports by 50% in the medium term. By strengthening the value chain and cutting out exploitative market practices, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture expects to make Ghanaian poultry more competitive and accessible. This collaboration with the Netherlands is viewed as a critical step in providing the technical infrastructure and investment needed to achieve long-term agricultural sustainability.