The Agrihouse Foundation has officially launched the fifth edition of the Ghana Poultry Day festival with a call for increased investment in Ghana’s local poultry industry. The event is set to take place on July 1, 2025, under the theme, “Investing in the Local Poultry Sector: A Means to Creating Jobs, Promoting Agritourism and Improving Food Security.” The festival promises to be a significant platform for promoting local poultry production, with an emphasis on creating jobs, strengthening food security, and enhancing agritourism.
At the media launch, which took place last Tuesday at the Accra Tourist Information Centre, stakeholders from agriculture, tourism, and the private sector gathered to support the initiative. Alberta Nana Akyaa Akosa, Executive Director of Agrihouse Foundation, highlighted that this year’s festival aims to scale its impact by fostering stronger collaborations between the government, the private sector, and community leaders. She noted that the festival’s past success lies in its community-based approach, which has effectively communicated the importance of poultry farming and encouraged youth involvement in the industry.
In line with this goal, this year’s event will introduce a new initiative called the “Cook-and-Engage” programme, where participants will be encouraged to engage directly with poultry production by taking home live chicks. This hands-on approach aims to create tangible opportunities for participants and encourage them to actively contribute to the poultry value chain. Akosa emphasised the importance of including youth in these value chains, ensuring they are equipped with the skills to participate in and benefit from the industry’s growth.
The Chairperson of the Ghana Poultry Day Festival 2025 Planning Committee, Dr. Comfort Acheampong, expressed strong support for the local poultry industry, calling it a national movement. She underscored the need to reduce the country’s reliance on imported frozen chicken, which continues to present significant challenges for local poultry farmers. These challenges include high feed costs and competition from imported products that are often cheaper than locally produced poultry. Acheampong’s vision is to revive Ghanaian chicken as a symbol of celebration, quality, and national pride.
Representing the Ghana Tourism Authority, Alexander Nketia noted that the Ghana Poultry Day festival aligns with the government’s Black Star Experience initiative, which promotes culture-based tourism. He pointed out the potential of agritourism as a growing global trend, where farm tours, cooking competitions, and local food fairs could transform the festival into a significant tourism attraction. Nketia suggested structured collaborations with poultry farms and local communities to create educational tours and enhance public interest in agritourism.
Ralph Ayitey, National Treasurer of the Association of Ghana Industries (AGI), stressed the economic potential of a thriving local poultry industry. He pointed out that Ghana imports over 600,000 chickens daily, yet the country has a high unemployment rate. Ayitey argued that a well-structured poultry industry could provide job opportunities and contribute to economic growth. He also urged local businesses, including hotels and restaurants, to prioritise sourcing locally produced poultry, citing Coconut Grove Hotels as an example of a business committed to using only Ghanaian chicken.
Overall, the Ghana Poultry Day festival represents a key opportunity to boost the local poultry industry, create jobs, and promote agritourism. By celebrating and investing in locally produced poultry, the festival seeks to empower farmers, engage youth, and strengthen Ghana’s food security.
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