The Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly (STMA) has distributed 10,000 four-week-old broiler chicks to beneficiaries in the Takoradi Constituency under the government’s Feed Ghana programme.
The initiative, which was officially launched and inaugurated at the forecourt of the STMA on Friday, August 7, 2026, forms part of government’s efforts to boost local poultry production, create employment and reduce Ghana’s dependence on imported poultry products.
Speaking at the ceremony, the Head of the STMA Department of Agriculture, Deborah Gyasi Frimpomaa, said the programme was designed to provide ordinary Ghanaians with the opportunity to engage in poultry production while contributing to food security and job creation.
She explained that the government had supplied about 170,000 birds to the Western Region under the initiative, with the STMA being the last metropolitan assembly in the region to receive its allocation.
According to her, the first batch of birds for the Takoradi Constituency arrived on July 18, 2026, and had undergone four weeks of brooding before being distributed to registered participants.
“The Feed Ghana project is to help Ghanaians get jobs and food and limit the importation of birds,” she said.
She urged beneficiaries to properly care for the birds by providing them with adequate feed and water and assured them of technical support from the Department of Agriculture and Veterinary Services.
The department, she added, would periodically visit beneficiaries to monitor the birds and provide guidance to help ensure the success of the initiative.
Delivering the keynote address, the Metropolitan Chief Executive (MCE) said a total of 30,000 chicks had been allocated to the STMA, with 10,000 designated for each of the three constituencies.
The Takoradi Constituency, he said, was the first to receive its allocation.
He disclosed that the programme had attracted significant interest, with about 200 people registering in the Takoradi Constituency, while the Essikado-Ketan Constituency recorded the highest number of registrations.
The MCE explained that each beneficiary was initially expected to receive up to 50 chicks. However, mortality among some of the birds and the high number of registered participants meant the number allocated to individual beneficiaries would be reduced.
He stressed that the distribution formed part of the first phase of the initiative, with a second, more commercial phase expected to provide opportunities for beneficiaries to expand their poultry operations beyond the initial allocation.
He encouraged beneficiaries to take proper care of the birds, noting that those who successfully manage their birds could be considered for larger allocations in subsequent batches.
The MCE said the birds were expected to reach marketable size within about two weeks following distribution, depending on how well they were managed.
He urged beneficiaries to treat the programme seriously so that government’s investment would yield the intended results and contribute to the expansion of poultry production.
The Head of Agriculture further encouraged beneficiaries who encounter challenges to contact the department for assistance and technical advice.
The programme is being implemented under the government’s Feed Ghana flagship programme, whose broader objectives include modernising Ghana’s agricultural sector, increasing domestic food production and productivity, reducing food imports and creating employment opportunities.
The event was held under the theme, “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future.”
The programme began at 8:19 a.m. and was attended by STMA officials, assembly members, heads of department, poultry farmers, media representatives and other stakeholders.
Former New Takoradi Assembly Member, John K. Koomson, led the opening and closing prayers and also delivered the vote of thanks.
Officials expressed hope that the initiative, if successfully implemented, would strengthen local poultry production and contribute to improved livelihoods and economic development within the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and beyond.