The Executives of the Ngleshie-Amanfro-Kasoa (NAK) Poultry, Livestock and Crop Farmers Co-operative has called on the government to give them financial and technical assistance to enable members to produce poultry products at relatively cheaper cost.
According to the group the production of broilers was an area which could generate employment for the youth.
Mr Rahees Is-haq Saeed, Secretary of the Association, said this at a meeting with the Minister of Local Government and Rural Development
on Wednesday in Accra.
The meeting was at the instance of the Association to support government’s policy on “Youth In Agriculture” and the “Better Ghana
Agenda”.
The group is made up of young farmers’ between 28 and 40 years who have come together to form co-operatives to enhance their chances
of accessing credit facilities and also create jobs for the youth in the area.
Mr Saeed said the group became productive only during festivities and expressed the desire to be in regular production and appealed to government to assist in that direction.
He also urged government to adopt the group as a module for the Youth Employment Programme to train the youth in poultry and livestock
production.
Mr Samuel Ofosu-Ampofo, Sector Minister said one of the government’s policies was to encourage the youth to go into agriculture and commended members of the group for their efforts and vision.
He announced that currently, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture had embarked on a programme to distribute broilers to farmers to address the protein needs of the nation and at the same time give the farmers a livelihood.
“We will take up your issue with Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to see how you can be assisted both technically and financially.
“We will also try to link you to the District and Municipal Assemblies to inspect your work and come out with what kind of support to give you,” he added.
Mr Ofosu-Ampofo said his Ministry would have further discussions with the Ministries of Employment and Social Welfare, MOFA, and the
Youth Employment Secretariat to see how to put their programme in context to enable them realise their dream.
The Minister said locally produced chicken was high in protein and very nutritious than the frozen ones and called on the media to raise the awareness for the public to patronise the products to keep the farmers in business.
He said in China every child under the Schools Feeding Programme was given two eggs a week.
“Looking at the number of children under that programme will mean more people will shift into poultry farming to produce the required eggs to support the programme.
“Here in Ghana we will meet to discuss if we can introduce that even if we can afford an egg per a child under the programme each
week,” he said, adding that that the effort would create more jobs for the youth and the existing poultry farmers.