The Minister for Food and Agriculture, Eric Opoku, has revealed that a government backyard poultry initiative has hit a snag, with some beneficiaries slaughtering and eating the birds instead of rearing them.

Speaking to Parliament’s Committee on Assurances, Mr Opoku disclosed that instead of keeping the distributed poultry to breed and build commercial stock, some households have been using them for immediate consumption.

The minister noted that while this applies to certain participants rather than all, some have gone as far as sending him video evidence. "Some even sent me videos saying, 'Honourable, we're eating everything'," he stated.

Focus on Business, Not Food

The minister emphasised that the government does not support this practice, as the project was specifically designed to help citizens establish sustainable livestock businesses and secure long-term livelihoods.

"The purpose of the programme was for farmers to 'rear and reinvest,'" Mr Opoku stated.

"This is not meant for that immediate consumption. We just wanted people to rear them, sell, and reinvest, so it becomes businesses. We don't encourage that, we wanted them to capitalise on this to earn something for their livelihood."

A Minor Saving Grace

Despite the setback to the project's core objectives, the minister acknowledged that the practice offers a minor secondary benefit to the broader agricultural campaign by stimulating a preference for domestic meat over foreign imports.

"If that is what they have decided to do, at the national level in aggregation it also helps," the minister said. "If they are able to build a good taste for locally produced poultry, that is a big plus for us."

The Nkokɔ Nkitinkiti programme is a flagship government intervention designed to increase domestic chicken production and decrease the nation's reliance on imported poultry. As part of its expansion, the ministry has announced that plans are also well underway to distribute local poultry to Members of Parliament.