Dambai (OR), Feb 28, GNA – Mr Obrien Nyarko, Oti Regional Director, Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) has presented 6,500 guinea fowl-keets to three farmers in the Krachi East Municipality to support guinea fowl production.
The presentation to beneficiaries, Mr Samuel Amegbor, Mr David Afram and Mr Sadiq Inusah was under the Savannah Investment programme (SIP) aimed at contributing to government’s flagship programme, ‘Rearing for Food and Jobs’ with the intention of reducing importation of poultry products.
Mr Nyarko during the handing over ceremony of the guinea fowl-keets at the Municipal Assembly said it was the Assembly’s hope that the programme would at the end, promote the production of guinea fowl from a small to a large-scale commercial basis.
He also expected the keets to help better the lives of the farmers as well as meet the local demand for meat.
Mr Nyarko stated that the programme did not leave out women and the youth because there were interventions targeted at them to increase egg production to improve household nutrition and as well, create livelihoods for them.
The Regional Director said these other interventions being implemented under the SIP in the region included broiler intervention, guinea fowl intervention, layer intervention and breed improvement intervention (sheep production).
While the broiler and the guinea fowl interventions targeted commercial poultry farmers, the layer intervention targeted women farmers with the breed improvement intervention targeting small ruminant farmers.
Speaking on behalf of the beneficiaries, Mr David Afram expressed satisfaction with the government’s subsidies on the guinea fowl-keets and the food supplements provided for a period of two weeks.
He thanked both the Regional and Municipal Agriculture Directors for their support and pledged to properly care for the keets as directed by agriculture extension officers.
GNA