Minister launches grasscutter project

THE Minister of Food and Agriculture, Major (rtd) Courage Quashiga, has launched a grasscutter rearing project at Pokuase in the Ga District.

The three-year project, which will cost ?640 million, is to be implemented in the Greater Accra, Central and Volta regions by 120 families.

The initiative, known as the Grasscutter Production for Climate Change and Poverty Reduction Project, is being sponsored by Heifer International, Ghana.

As part of the launch, 30 cages and animals were handed over to the members of the Grasscutter Co-operative Farmers Society Limited.

In his address, Major Quashiga described the initiative to domesticate and breed grasscutter as a major breakthrough in the country?s domestic meat production.

This, he said, is because the livestock industry has been unable to meet the country?s estimated total meat consumption requirements of about 70,000 metric tonnes.

He said this has resulted in the importation of meat and meat products from various countries.

Major Quashiga noted that besides increasing access to meat, grasscutter breeding can lead to the creation of gainful employment and income-generation activities for the unemployed.

He recalled that a pilot project for the domestication and breeding of grasscutter started at the Nungua Livestock Breeding Station but it suffered a setback because of funding problems leading to its collapse. He assured the audience that the project will be reviewed under a new Livestock Development project by the ministry.

He said a meat processing and smoking centre will be established at the Nungua Livestock Breeding Station for demonstration and the training of people in the use of hygienic methods of processing and packaging of meat.

Major Quashiga commended Heifer International for organising the programme and urged the beneficiaries to work diligently to make grasscutter meat abundant.

The Country Director of Heifer International, Mr John Heloo, explained the modalities for implementing the project and said the money will go into the procurement of breeder grasscutters, cages, training in animal husbandry, awareness creation on HIV/AIDS and environmental conservation.

He said Heifer International, in collaboration with other development agencies and the Animal Research Institute (ARI), is assisting farmers with foundation stock for further multiplication to help rejuvenate the grasscutter industry in the country.

A research officer of ARI, Mr Emmanuel Kwadwo Adu, appealed to development agencies and NGOs who share the vision of the ARI not only to come to the institution?s aid but also help invigorate it to increase animal production.

The Ga District Chief Executive, Mr Samuel Attoh, said the assembly will re-adjust its poverty alleviation funds to enable it to support groups such as the Grasscutter Co-operative Society.

The secretary to the society, Mr Brilliant Hushie, appealed to NGOs to support the society in the proposed Grasscutter House Complex project, which will serve as a reservoir of information sharing on grasscutter breeding in the country.

The Executive Director of Conservation International, Okyeame Ampadu Adjei, donated a cheque for ?10 million to the society in support of its activities.