The Vice President of the Sunyani Poultry Farmers Association, Johnson Yeboah, has criticised the government for failing to engage key industry stakeholders ahead of the official launch of the much-publicised ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’ poultry initiative.

His comments come amid growing frustration among poultry farmers in the Bono Region, many of whom are reportedly selling off their birds following an oversupply of eggs that has caused severe financial strain.

The government is expected to launch the ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’ programme on Wednesday, November 10, 2025. The initiative — first proposed by President John Dramani Mahama during the 2024 election campaign — seeks to provide day-old chicks, feed, and veterinary support to households nationwide in a bid to boost domestic poultry production.

However, speaking on the Citi Breakfast Show on Monday, Mr. Yeboah said the government had ignored promises to consult the industry before rolling out the project.

“You hear the government, past and present, always talking about the industry, but they do not engage with us, the stakeholders, to know the challenges we have and how to solve them. Typical of such is the government’s ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’.

“Initially, the President made us aware that they were going to engage the association to ensure successful implementation, but as we speak, no government official has bothered to engage us,” he said.

He dismissed government claims about plans to distribute 80,000 birds to farmers as “lip service,” stressing that poultry farming is a technical and complex industry that cannot be handled as a political exercise.

“You cannot just throw out birds into the system in the name of a campaign promise. It will amaze you to hear that people are going to the various assemblies to write their names for the ‘Nkukor Nkitinkiti’. These people are not poultry farmers. How do they take care of these birds? If you do not get proper market channels, it will create a huge problem, including disease outbreaks,” he warned.

Mr. Yeboah also highlighted the current crisis of unsold eggs, which has left many farmers struggling to stay afloat.

“Now we have many farmers with eggs on their farms. Some are even digging holes to bury them. If indeed the government wants to help, then they should come down and engage with us,” he added.

Ghana’s poultry industry has long grappled with high feed costs, unstable markets, and limited access to credit, challenges stakeholders say must be tackled to make any government intervention sustainable.