The government has been called upon to consider reviewing the objectives and implementation plan of its livestock-oriented agricultural programme, Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ).
Emmanuel Wullo Wullingdool, an Agricultural Policy Consultant, speaking with A1 Radio’s Mark Smith on the Day Break Upper East Show, expressed worry that years after the implementation of the policy, measurable gains had not been realised.
As such, the government would have to reconsider some of its objectives under the programme to make it more efficient. To do this, the government is being asked to call for a bigger consultative forum to help create a proper plan.
“We need to go back to the drawing board. This calls for, what we would consider a multistakeholder process. This is where we bring all stakeholders to one forum and set a national target for ourselves. We can say we are reviewing the programme and focusing on one or two products. We would say that, as a country, in the next 2 or 3 years, we want to cut down on the importation of the stated products into the country. We can set that as a target. We can begin to do that and then also consider all the steps along the value chain,” he said.
A key component of the programme that needs to be reviewed to ensure the success of the Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) programme is research and development, according to Mr. Wullingdool.
Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ) is one of the modules of the government’s flagship agricultural programme, Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ). The RFJ was a five-year programme that was to run from 2019 to 2023.
The objective of the RFJ was to develop a competitive and more efficient livestock industry that increases domestic production, reduces importation of livestock products, and contributes to employment generation, the improvement of the 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.
This campaign was designed to address the identified bottle-necks along five (5) key value chains which are: sheep, goats, pigs, poultry and dairy cattle.
Source: A1radioonline.com|101.1MHz|Mark Kwasi Ahumah Smith|Ghana
