Africa-Press – Ghana. Herdsmen in Nima, a suburb of Accra, have announced their readiness to leverage government’s agricultural and agribusiness initiatives to grow and contribute more to domestic consumption.
In an exclusive interview, the herdsmen, who predominantly rear cattle, complained of neglect in government plans for the agriculture sector, particularly the livestock sector.
Mr. Iddrisu Ahmed said he had heard the government launching many initiatives for the agriculture sector, but it seems the livestock sector had been ignored.
He noted that most agricultural initiatives focused on rural areas, while farmers in urban settlements like Nima had been completely overlooked.
Mr Ahmed highlighted the major challenges facing livestock farmers in urban centres, which threaten their livelihoods.” The Challenges, range from a lack of financial support and expensive feed to, most importantly, a lack of veterinary services.”
He said, “Unlike the farmers in the rural areas who are assigned agricultural extension officers, we in the urban centres are not so lucky.”
Mr. Ahmed urged the government to pay attention to farmers in urban centres and guide them to leverage existing initiatives.
The government’s main support for livestock farmers is integrated into major national agricultural policies, including the Feed Ghana Flagship Programme (AETA), the Ghana CARES ‘Obaatanpa’ Programme, and the Young Poultry and Livestock Farmers Initiative.
Despite these initiatives, Mr. Ramadan Sheriff, also a herder, said livestock farmers in the Nima community were not consulted or engaged in anything related to their business.
He noted that urban livestock farmers were oblivious or unaware of these initiatives, hence their plight.
“I have seen these initiatives being launched on the television when I watched the news in the evening. In fact, I feel sorry for myself and fellow herders because we are facing major challenges here, especially rearing animals in an unconventional place like this,” he said.
Mr. Sherrif appealed to the government to provide the necessary support to the farmers by ensuring that livestock farmers were engaged and educated on some of the initiatives.
For More News And Analysis About Ghana Follow Africa-Press
