Government urged to invest in livestock extension services

Wa (U / W), July 11, GNA – Mr. Daniel Banuoku,
Deputy Executive Director, Center for Aboriginal Knowledge and Organizations
Development (CIKOD) -North, called on the government to invest in livestock
extension services to ensure successful breeding for food and employment
program.

"Breeding for food and employment is a good
initiative but we have to look at the extent of animal production, do we have
have the appropriate and appropriate extension support to address the issues.

Veterinary services for a long time now
lacking staff, they do not have equipment to move around; there is the need to
government in the early days of the "Livestock for Food and Employment" program
invest in expanding animal production, "he said.

S & # 39; s speaking in an interview with Ghana News
Wa's agency, Mr. Banuoku said the government should set up the right
institutions to ensure that the RFJ program has been successful and this should include
riverbanks and water sources available for livestock and veterinary services
among others.

Available statistics indicate that 77,871
tons of livestock were produced in Ghana in 2018, or 19 percent
while the remaining 81% were imported with scarce foreign exchange resources.
resources to meet local demand.

President Akuffo-Addo, Monday, June 24
2019 has launched the program "Livestock for Food and Employment" which aims to
the improvement of breeding and protein consumption and the reduction of
import of meat into the country.

Mr. Banuoko said that investment in the program
should go beyond buying and distributing animals to farmers, but also
ensure that veterinary services are well equipped to deal with the outbreak of
any disease.

On market access, he said, the government
should provide a market for livestock in the country to prevent
glut.

"The government should start looking at the
marketing opportunities, because if we produce so much what happens is that
there will be an overabundance, and once there is an overabundance, there is competition on
price, and once there is competition, it beats the price down, "he said.

Mr. Banuoku stated that the price reduction would result in
affect the recovery of investments made in production.

GNA