Ghana to drastically reduce meat importation

Accra, April 6, GNA - Government says it is determined to drastically reduce the importation of meat and meat products by 2015, Mr Barfour Asare Mensah, Director, Animal Production Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture stated in Accra on Wednesday. Available statistics indicate that in 2008, the country imported 13,135.4 metric tons (mt) of beef, 7,366.8mt of buffalo and 2,718.9mt of milk.

Speaking with the Ghana News Agency, Mr Mensah said Government policy was to increase production of livestock from 30 to 80 per cent with the overall objective of making Ghana self-sufficient in meat production and meat products as well as reducing the incidence of poverty among farmers.

Mr Mensah said breeding stations were working towards the production of improved stocks for distribution to farmers and to provide technological know-how to farmers through extension officers. The improved chicken, pigs, goats and sheep breeds from the stations would be competitive to what were obtained in Europe, he added, saying that 93farmers have been trained in management in breeding, nutrition and housing techniques".

Already, he said, some of the farmers had been supplied with improved breeds and that had led to improvement in carcass weight and size of their livestock.