530 sheep have been distributed to some selected farmers within the Upper East Region. The animals were distributed to the farmers as part of the government’s Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) programme.
Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) is one of the modules of the government’s flagship agricultural program christened Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ). The RFJ is a five-year programme running from 2019 to 2023.
The objective of the RFJ is to develop a competitive and more efficient livestock industry that increases domestic production, reduces importation of livestock products and contributes to employment generation and to the improvement of livelihoods of livestock value chain actors and the national economy. This module was officially launched by H. E. President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo at Wa in the Upper West Region on June 25th, 2019.
It is also aimed at addressing issues associated with livestock development in the country including, but not limited to; poor genetic quality of breeds used by farmers, poor nutrition and inadequate water resources for livestock, animal health, poor and inadequate livestock housing structures/equipment, inadequate agricultural extension service and developing and promoting the livestock value chain.
The Upper East Regional Director of the Food and Agriculture, Francis Ennor, speaking about the progress of the programme on the Day Break Upper East Show on A1 Radio explained that the programme had achieved a modicum of success.
Since 2019, some 530 improved varieties of sheep had been distributed to “12 female farmers in the Kassena Nankana West District for breeding purposes. The offspring of these animals would be collected and distributed to farmers in other districts.”
“We have 77 rabbits that have also been distributed to 15 women groups. We also have 22,171 improved guinea fowls that have been supplied to farmers at a subsidized price of Ghc4 per keet. That one too if you go to the Bawku West area, that is where that is located at. These were also distributed to 21 commercial farmers,” he said.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
