50 farmers receive training in livestock housing

Fifty (50) livestock farmers in the Asante-Akim South Municipality have received a day's training in livestock housing, as part of deliberate efforts to raise animal production in the area.

The programme was organized by the Food and Agriculture (MoFA) Ministry to expose the farmers to best farming practices.

Dr. David Anambam, the Municipal Director of Agriculture, identified poor housing as a major challenge affecting livestock farming in the area. He said this was largely responsible for the high animal mortality in the sector – exposing animals to all forms of danger.

The training was therefore meant to educate the farmers on how to provide decent housing for their animals, to keep them healthy.

Madam Gifty Darkoh, Ashanti Regional Animal Production Officer of MoFA, indicated that about 50 per cent of animals had been dying because of poor housing.

She said the provision of decent housing should therefore be made a key priority of any farmer eager to go into animal rearing.

That, she added, was the way forward to realize optimal returns from their investment.

She underlined the need for farmers to make sure that there was adequate space – to allow for ventilation and easy access.

They should additionally keep the shelter clean, especially the floor and to see to it that they factored access to water into the selection of the site to keep the animals.

She counseled that farmers sought the technical support and services of veterinary officers. They should desist from treating the animals themselves.

Madam Kyerewaah Mercy, a 45 year old livestock farmer at Nnadieso applauded the ministry for the training and encouraged more women to go into livestock farming.

The said it was a lucrative business and that the returns on investment were high.