Otukunor Launches National Poultry and Livestock Training Roadmap to Empower Youth and Revive Agribusiness

  


In a bold move to transform Ghana’s poultry and livestock industry while tackling youth unemployment, Mr. Peter Boamah Otukunor, Director of Presidential Initiatives in Agriculture and Agribusiness, has launched a nationwide roadmap aimed at training and empowering young Ghanaians across all 16 regions.

Speaking at the CSIR-Animal Research Institute, Mr. Otukunor described the initiative as more than a program — “a launchpad for building Ghana’s next generation of agribusiness entrepreneurs.” Themed “Empowering Youth, Securing Livelihoods: Advancing Ghana’s Poultry and Livestock Future Through Agribusiness Innovation,” the roadmap is part of the government’s broader agenda to use agriculture as a catalyst for economic transformation.

He noted that the roadmap aligns with President John Dramani Mahama’s “Feed Ghana” flagship initiative and the goal of creating 900,000 direct and 1.7 million indirect jobs by 2028 through agribusiness value chains.

“Today’s launch marks a turning point in our national effort to create meaningful jobs, improve food security, and build resilient agribusiness value chains,” Otukunor declared.

The roadmap was developed in collaboration with the CSIR-Animal Research Institute and Feedico Company Limited. It outlines detailed programs focused on grains, livestock, and poultry production, backed by mechanization, irrigation, climate-smart practices, and digital extension services.

Mr. Otukunor, reflecting on his past as a struggling unemployed youth, said his journey drives his commitment to delivering results.

“I truly understand what it feels like to be without a job and without hope. That experience drives everything we do — to bring relief, opportunity, and dignity to Ghana’s youth.”

Key Livestock and Poultry Interventions

The initiative includes a suite of programs under the Feed Ghana plan, including:

Transformational Grains and Cereals Program: Focused on maize, rice, soyabean, tomato, and pepper, with free input support for farmers.

Integrated Outgrower Model: Inclusive financing without collateral for smallholders to cultivate over 65,000 acres.

Livestock Development Program: Targeting ruminants with intensive rearing to reduce farmer-herder conflict.

Small Ruminant Expansion: A focus on goats and sheep, which Mr. Otukunor humorously noted are “dear to President Mahama.”

Micro-Livestock Promotion: Encouraging production of grasscutters, rabbits, and “kusie” as alternative protein sources.

Poultry Revitalization Initiative: Plans to produce 4 million commercial broilers and distribute 1 million household birds under the Akoko Nketenkete model to 55,000 homes.

“We anticipate substituting up to 70% of poultry imports, saving hundreds of millions in foreign exchange,” Otukunor stated confidently.

Tackling the Feed Crisis

To address the rising cost of animal feed, a Livestock Feed Industry Initiative will set up mini-feed mills across the country. The project, in partnership with Feedico and other private actors, will benefit from expanded grain production under Feed Ghana.

The comprehensive roadmap will serve as a working blueprint for sustainable agribusiness, youth empowerment, and national food security.

“Agriculture is no longer about hoes and cutlasses — it is a business that feeds the nation, creates wealth, and secures our future,” Otukunor concluded.

 

With this bold strategy, Otukunor signals a new era of youth-led agricultural transformation, laying the groundwork for a resilient and self-sufficient agribusiness sector in Ghana.




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