Hungarian Embassy hosts companies to grow poultry industry

The Embassy of Hungary in Accra, collaborating with Governance Africa Foundation (GAfF), aims to boost the local poultry and livestock industry by bringing Hungarian agribusiness companies to Ghana for exploring opportunities and building partnerships to grow the sector.

The two hosted a Food Sector Business Forum ‘Golden Chance’ at the Hungarian Embassy in Accra on 23rd September 2025. This forum gathered agribusiness stakeholders, investors and policymakers to explore trade and investment opportunities in Ghana, particularly for poultry, animal-feed and agribusiness technology.

The ‘Golden Chance’ forum showcased leading Hungarian agribusiness companies with expertise in the food and livestock sectors ready to build partnerships with Ghanaian companies which address the critical gaps in Ghana’s agricultural value chain.

In his opening remarks, the founder of Governance Africa Foundation, George Odamten, emphasised the forum’s significance  noting that September 23, 2025 marked exactly 20 years since the introduction of Ghana’s pocket-sized Constitution by GafF.

He however positioned GafF as a connector between Ghana’s institutions and international partners, particularly in agriculture  stressing the Foundation’s intent to collaborate with Ghana Armed Forces to make agriculture attractive to the youth.

Mr. Odamten reaffirmed Governance Africa Foundation’s role as a strategic partner with Hungary in wooing investments and boosting bilateral trade. He pledged to steer the wheel in deepening cooperation between the two countries in agriculture.

Representatives from Hungarian agribusiness companies including Bábolna Tetra  which specialises in poultry breeding, genetics and hatchery solutions  were present to scout local partners, aiming to provide birds with high-quality genetics and technical expertise to revitalise Ghana’s poultry sector.

Agrofeed experts in animal feed premixes, additives and technical/veterinary support  was also present to explore ways of establishing local feed plants to improve animal nutrition and boost productivity. A Hungarian specialised cheese producer, Korostej, is also aiming to enter the Ghanaian dairy processing space.

The Trade Attaché and Export Advisor at the Embassy of Hungary in Accra, Dr. Adams Istvan Pulay, cited government’s Feed Ghana Programme as opportune for collaboration with Hungarian agribusiness companies to ensure food sufficiency in Ghana and revamp the poultry industry.

“The poultry industry in Ghana and Western Africa is just before a big boom,” he stated, emphasising the vast opportunities for technology transfer to boost agriculture in Ghana.

The Feed Ghana Programme (FGP) is a nationwide initiative designed to create jobs and strengthen agro-industries by expanding agricultural production and ensuring a stable supply of raw materials. It was launched by President John Mahama in April 2025.

The forum comes at a critical time for Ghana’s poultry industry. Once self-sufficient, the sector now meets only a fraction of national demand. Ghana produces only 50,482 metric tonnes annually against an annual consumption of 300,000 to 400,000 metric tonnes. This gap is filled by imports from the EU, USA and Brazil, which often enter the market at prices well below the cost of local production – rendering local producers uncompetitive.

Government’s target of replacing 25 percent of frozen chicken imports – about 100,000 metric tonnes – through intensified local production is laudable, but requires a lot of investment and technology transfers to be successful. This will require raising about 67 million broiler birds annually.

The Golden Chance forum created a platform for Ghanaian businesses to build strategic partnerships with their Hungarian counterparts and will spark a series engagements which translate into projects for poultry production, feed manufacturing and agribusiness financing. Such synergy will offer a promising pathway to reducing import dependency, enhancing food security and stimulating economic growth.Financial software

Ghana’s Ambassador-designate to Hungary, Dr. Kwame Ampofo, was given a head-start at the forum before assuming office in Hungary later in the year. He witnessed partnerships brokered between Hungarian companies and Ghanaian ones.

Ghana EXIM Bank participated in the forum, reinforcing it’s commitment to supporting businesses across the agricultural value chain.

Some notable attendees at the event included the Hungarian Ambassador to Ghana, Tamás Endre Fehér, representatives from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ministry of Trade, Agribusiness and Industry, Ghana Investment Promotion Centre (GIPC) and numerous commercial farms and investment companies.

Source: thebftonline.com