Doris Yaa Osei
The Animal Research Institute (ARI) of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) has assured the residents of the Adentan municipality within which it is located of its readiness to support those interested in livestock farming.
The assurance was given by the Senior Research Scientist of ARI, Dr. Doris Yaa Osei, last Friday during this year’s Farmers’ Day celebration.
The scientist said although an urban setting, 30 percent of the labour force in the municipality are engaged in crop, livestock and vegetable farming as well as fruit farming, agro-business and fish farming.
She charged other urban dwellers to consider venturing into backyard vegetable and livestock production for food and commercial purposes.
Dr. Osei recalled various interventions all intended to improve the food security of the country, pointing at the 1972 Operation Feed the Nation programme and now the Feed Ghana Programme, which started this year and intended to end in 2028, including the recently launched ‘Nkoko Nkitikiti’ poultry initiative, all of which she added are responses to the food challenge in the country.
The country’s import bill for food is enormous, and so there is the need to produce more to address this challenge.
She asked that physically challenged persons interested in agriculture should be supported with the resources and knowledge to venture into farming. This way, she added, they enhance their income security. The theme for the programme was “Feed Ghana, Eat Ghana, Secure the Future.”