President John Dramani Mahama has said Bechem in the Ahafo Region will become Ghana’s major chicken hub when the ongoing poultry and meat processing factory is completed.
He made the remarks on Friday, October 9, 2026, during an inspection of the facility under construction in the Tano South Municipality as part of his working visit to the region.
President Mahama expressed satisfaction with the progress of work and said the factory was expected to be ready for operations next year.
“We came here last year to promise a poultry factory for Bechem. We have come back to inspect the work, and we are encouraged by the progress. By next year, the factory should be ready to operate,” he said.
According to the President, the facility will position Bechem as a major centre for chicken sales and distribution, allowing traders to purchase poultry in bulk for supply to markets across the country.
“Bechem will become Ghana’s chicken hub. Anyone who wants to buy chicken will come to Bechem,” he stated.
He encouraged residents to take advantage of the government’s Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme by investing in cold vans and poultry distribution businesses.
President Mahama said traders could purchase chicken in bulk from Bechem and transport it to Tamale and other parts of the country, creating additional business opportunities along the poultry value chain.
He explained that the Nkoko Nkitinkiti programme was introduced to support a consistent supply of birds for processing when the factory becomes operational.
The President said the government’s objective was to develop the entire poultry value chain, from raising birds to processing and distributing finished products.
He also highlighted the employment opportunities associated with the project, disclosing that the contractor had already employed about 100 young people from Bechem to work on the construction site.
He added that more employment opportunities were expected to emerge as the facility expanded its operations.
President Mahama further emphasised the need to increase domestic poultry production, noting that Ghana continues to rely heavily on imported chicken.
He said the factory was expected to provide a ready market for poultry farmers, encourage local production and help reduce the country’s dependence on imported poultry products.
The President stressed that a reliable supply of locally raised birds would be essential to sustaining the factory’s operations and ensuring that farmers, traders and other businesses benefited from the investment.
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