Bechem Poultry Plant 50% Complete: Ghana's Answer to Chicken Self-Sufficiency

President John Dramani Mahama has visited the Poultry, Meat and Feed Processing Plant under construction in Bechem, Ahafo Region, confirming that work has reached approximately 50 per cent completion. The inspection forms part of his Resetting Ghana tour and represents a critical checkpoint for one of the government's flagship agricultural infrastructure projects.

The Bechem facility, which President Mahama originally cut the sod for about a year ago, is designed as a comprehensive poultry hub combining processing, feed production and hatchery operations. According to Agriculture Minister Eric Opoku, the plant will feature two processing lines capable of handling 6,000 eggs per hour, alongside broiler processing capacity. The contractor has committed to completing and operationalising the facility by the end of the first quarter of 2027.

A Strategic Vision for Bechem and Youth Employment

The President outlined an ambitious vision for the Bechem plant to position the town as Ghana's chicken capital, with implications extending across the entire poultry value chain. He called on local youth to engage in poultry farming, leveraging the government's Feed Ghana programme whilst also exploring opportunities to purchase and resell processed chicken nationally.

Beyond processing, the facility will incorporate a hatchery for producing day-old chicks to supply farmers across multiple regions including Ashanti, Bono and Upper East. The plant will also provide cold storage services, addressing a longstanding infrastructure gap for farmers. Two distribution trucks are being procured to deliver branded, packaged broilers to markets, with operations managed by a private operator to ensure commercial efficiency.

Why It Matters for Ghana: A Dramatic Shift in Food Security

The Bechem plant arrives at a pivotal moment for Ghana's poultry sector. The 'Nkokɔ Nketenkete' (Nest to Nest) programme has delivered unprecedented growth, with domestic poultry production rising from 4.7 per cent to 22 per cent in just over a year—a transformation Minister Opoku described as historic. This surge has created an egg glut so significant that retailers are selling two eggs for GH¢5.

This oversupply, whilst indicating success, has created both opportunity and pressure. The government has negotiated egg exports to Burkina Faso following border negotiations, yet demand remains insufficient to clear the domestic surplus. The administration is now integrating eggs into the School Feeding Programme nationwide, a move that simultaneously supports nutrition policy and creates market stability.

The Bechem facility addresses a critical gap: processing capacity. Without it, the poultry boom risks becoming unsustainable as farmers face limited options for surplus stock. The plant's integration of processing, feed production from processing waste, and hatchery services creates a closed-loop system designed to maximise resource efficiency and reduce farmer dependence on imported inputs.

Implementation Timeline and Contractor Assurances

Minister Opoku confirmed that all certificate payments have been made on schedule despite earlier delays, with the contractor providing firm assurances of Q1 2027 completion. The Agriculture Ministry has stated there are no outstanding payment certificates, suggesting financial management issues have been resolved.

The Bechem project represents more than infrastructure; it signals the government's commitment to positioning Ghana as a potential regional poultry exporter whilst strengthening domestic food security. Success will depend on coordinated efforts across processing, marketing, and farmer engagement—areas where the combined hatchery, feed mill and distribution model aims to provide integrated support.