National Livestock Day celebration launched
A national Livestock Day, where a food bazaar will be organised to highlight the finest livestock products, including exhibitions, panel discussions and cultural displays, has been launched in Accra.
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The event, which is scheduled for October 3-4 this year, would be organised at the Efua Sutherland Park on the theme: “A thriving livestock industry towards sustainable food and nutrition security for economic growth.”
Participants would include stakeholders such as farmers, processors, traders, civil society organisations and policymakers.
It is being organised by the Ghana National Association of Cattle Farmers (GNACAF), in collaboration with the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and the Ministry of National Security.
Launch
The Deputy Minister of Food and Agriculture in-charge of Livestock, Mohammed Hardi Tufeiru, who launched the programme in Accra yesterday, underscored the crucial role of livestock in the livelihoods of the people, especially in rural areas.
He, however, said challenges of livestock herders, crop farmers, disease management, access to quality feed, and the need for improved infrastructure and market access had impeded the growth of the sector.
Alhaji Tufeiru said it was to help tackle such bottlenecks that the government was collaborating with key stakeholders, including partners from the Ministry of National Security who had been instrumental in fostering peaceful co-existence between farmers and herders.
He said his outfit was also focusing attention on encouraging the adoption of semi-intensive and intensive livestock farming systems to increase productivity while preserving natural resources.
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“We are also promoting knowledge sharing within the sector to help our farmers adopt best practices and modern techniques that will enable them to compete at the global level.
“Our efforts to improve the sector will not only lift farmers out of poverty, but will also strengthen the country's position on the global livestock market,” the deputy minister said.
Support
The President of GNACAF, Imam Hanafi Sonde, called on businesses, organisations, and individuals who are passionate about the future of the country's livestock industry to come on board to support the event.
The event, he said, was to create a platform for knowledge exchange, promote dialogue among stakeholders, and address key challenges facing the sector, including farmer/herder conflicts, ineffective livestock data collection and animal health issues.
“The National Livestock Day provides a unique opportunity for sponsors to gain visibility, connect with industry leaders, and contribute to a cause that supports sustainable development and food security in the country.
“We offer a variety of sponsorship packages that cater to different levels of involvement, and we are also open to crafting custom solutions to meet your specific needs,” the president added.
For her part, the acting Deputy Director of the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research, Dr Doris Yaa Osei, assured the government of the centre’s willingness to work in collaboration with all stakeholders in the livestock value chain.
She said such a teamwork would help achieve national self-sufficiency in food and nutritional security as well as income generation through improved and sustainable livestock production.