FOUR hundred and twenty farmers in the Upper West Region are being provided with 4,200 sheep to augment their stock to boost animal husbandry to meet the protein needs of the country.
The project being executed under a seven-year Livestock Development Project (LDP) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), ends this year.
Each beneficiary livestock farmer is given nine ewes and a ram for a two-year period after which the animals would be transferred to another farmer.
Briefing the Upper West Regional Minister, Mahmud Khalid at Hamile, border town in the Lambussie-Karni District, the Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Emmanuel Eledi, said the animals were received at the agriculture station at Hamile where they were quarantined and treated before distribution to the beneficiary districts for the farmers.
According to Mr. Eledi, 60 livestock farmers from each beneficiary districts were benefiting from the programme.
The beneficiary districts are Wa Municipal, Wa East and West, Sissala, East and West, Jirapa and Lambussie-Karni.
The Regional Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Philip Salia, said under the programme about 7,000 sheep were to be delivered with some to be sent to the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions for distribution to livestock farmers.
According to Dr. Salia, the station had taken delivery of 1,100 sheep, which have been treated and distributed, to various districts for farmers adding that 333 of them were currently at the station for treatment and certification for distribution to beneficiary livestock farmers.
The General Manager of Y.N.O. Enterprise Limited, Isaac Yawson, the company contracted to supply the animals explained that the company faces many difficulties in going through border checkpoints especially the Cote d’voire and Burkina Faso borders.
He said despite letters and other authorization from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to facilitate his passage at the various border checkpoints, custom officials delayed their passage as they had to contact headquarters for verification and clearance.
Mr. Khalid urged beneficiary farmers to see animal rearing as a business and not a hobby bequeathed to them by their ancestors.
He said the initiative was a laudable one that had the potential of changing the lives of livestock farmers for the better and urged the beneficiaries to take the programme seriously to better their lot.
He commended personnel of the Veterinary Services for ensuring that animals delivered to the farmers were healthy and urged the staff to draw up a comprehensive programme to monitor the growth of the animals and provide technical and animal health care delivery services to ensure that beneficiary farmers derived maximum benefit from the programme.
Mr Khalid said the programme when proven successful would be replicated in the Lawra and Nadoli remaining two districts of the region.
The project being executed under a seven-year Livestock Development Project (LDP) of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) with funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB), ends this year.
Each beneficiary livestock farmer is given nine ewes and a ram for a two-year period after which the animals would be transferred to another farmer.
Briefing the Upper West Regional Minister, Mahmud Khalid at Hamile, border town in the Lambussie-Karni District, the Regional Director of Food and Agriculture, Emmanuel Eledi, said the animals were received at the agriculture station at Hamile where they were quarantined and treated before distribution to the beneficiary districts for the farmers.
According to Mr. Eledi, 60 livestock farmers from each beneficiary districts were benefiting from the programme.
The beneficiary districts are Wa Municipal, Wa East and West, Sissala, East and West, Jirapa and Lambussie-Karni.
The Regional Director of Veterinary Services, Dr. Philip Salia, said under the programme about 7,000 sheep were to be delivered with some to be sent to the Brong Ahafo and Ashanti Regions for distribution to livestock farmers.
According to Dr. Salia, the station had taken delivery of 1,100 sheep, which have been treated and distributed, to various districts for farmers adding that 333 of them were currently at the station for treatment and certification for distribution to beneficiary livestock farmers.
The General Manager of Y.N.O. Enterprise Limited, Isaac Yawson, the company contracted to supply the animals explained that the company faces many difficulties in going through border checkpoints especially the Cote d’voire and Burkina Faso borders.
He said despite letters and other authorization from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to facilitate his passage at the various border checkpoints, custom officials delayed their passage as they had to contact headquarters for verification and clearance.
Mr. Khalid urged beneficiary farmers to see animal rearing as a business and not a hobby bequeathed to them by their ancestors.
He said the initiative was a laudable one that had the potential of changing the lives of livestock farmers for the better and urged the beneficiaries to take the programme seriously to better their lot.
He commended personnel of the Veterinary Services for ensuring that animals delivered to the farmers were healthy and urged the staff to draw up a comprehensive programme to monitor the growth of the animals and provide technical and animal health care delivery services to ensure that beneficiary farmers derived maximum benefit from the programme.
Mr Khalid said the programme when proven successful would be replicated in the Lawra and Nadoli remaining two districts of the region.
