- Ghana and Egypt have opened discussions on cooperation in poultry production and animal feed as Accra seeks to revive its domestic poultry industry.
- Ghana produced about 60,000 tonnes of chicken meat in 2023, covering only 18% of domestic consumption, according to the USDA.
- Egypt, Africa’s largest chicken producer, is looking for new export markets after reaching self-sufficiency and reporting a 20% production surplus.
Ghana is exploring cooperation with Egypt to benefit from the North African country’s expertise in the poultry industry. The initiative emerged from a meeting held on Tuesday, July 7, in Accra between Ghana’s Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry and Wael Fathy Ahmed, Egypt’s ambassador to Ghana.
According to a statement published by the ministry, the two sides discussed potential cooperation in poultry production and animal feed manufacturing. However, neither side announced a specific investment nor signed a formal agreement related to the poultry sector.
Egypt operates one of Africa’s most developed poultry industries. The country ranked as Africa’s largest producer of chicken meat in 2024 with an estimated output of nearly 2.59 million tonnes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
A Timely Opportunity for Accra
The discussions come as Ghana seeks to revive a poultry industry that has struggled to regain its former production levels.
During the 1980s and 1990s, Ghana met up to 80% of its domestic chicken meat demand through local production. However, the industry has since declined because of several structural challenges, including high animal feed costs, limited availability of day-old chicks and inadequate infrastructure such as hatcheries, processing facilities and cold-chain systems.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Ghana produced about 60,000 tonnes of chicken meat in 2023, covering only about 18% of domestic consumption, which reached an estimated 330,000 tonnes that year.
In response, Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture has been developing a poultry industry master plan since the beginning of 2026. The roadmap aims to improve the sector’s competitiveness, attract public and private investment and reduce the country’s dependence on imported poultry products.
What Does Egypt Stand to Gain?
While Ghana works to strengthen domestic production, the country also represents a potential export market for Egyptian poultry producers. In January 2026, the General Union of Poultry Producers of Egypt said the country had achieved self-sufficiency and was producing 20% more poultry than its domestic market consumes. According to official data, Egypt’s poultry industry currently produces 4.8 million chickens and 1.5 million trays of eggs each day.
Against that backdrop, the industry association is seeking to open new export markets worldwide to absorb the surplus. A partnership with Ghana could therefore create new opportunities for Egyptian poultry companies while strengthening their presence in the West African market.
Stéphanas Assocle
