Ghana: Press focuses on World Bank support to 22 poultry farmers, others

The report of the first phase of the Poultry Intensification Scheme under the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) driven by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to revamp the broiler industry, has taken off is one of the leading stories in the Ghanaian press on Thursday.
The Ghanaian Times reports that the first phase of the Poultry Intensification Scheme under the West Africa Food System Resilience Programme (FSRP) driven by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MOFA) to revamp the broiler industry, has taken off.
Selected commercial anchor poultry farmers in the Ashanti Re¬gion are taking delivery of 40,000 day-old chicks each, which con¬stitutes their first consignment of day-old chicks under the scheme.
This came to light during a two-day tour of the selected anchor farmers and other small holder farmers under the scheme at the weekend.
Speaking after the tour, FSRP’s Operations Manager, Philip Laryea, mentioned that the project would last for five years with $150 million World Bank support for Ghana.
He said 22 commercial poultry farmers have been selected across six regions (Ashanti, Bono, Cen­tral, Eastern, Greater Accra and Volta) to produce approximately 2 million broiler birds on a yearly basis. To contribute to the MO­FA-FSRP’s mission to revamp the broiler industry and increase the rate of adoption of modern and improved climate–resilient poultry production, processing and mar­keting techniques.
He further explained that all farms selected for the phase one would be supported for three years with $12.5 million to pro­duce the 2 million birds in a year, adding that subsequent farmers that would be selected for the second phase would equally be supported.
The Graphic says that 100 health experts from 36 countries from Africa, Europe and the Americas are attending a week-long leadership development course on the ‘Science of Defeating Malaria,’ at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) at Sokode-Lokoe, near Ho.
This is in collaboration with the Harvard University in the United States, and Cheikh Ana Diop University (UCAD) of Dakar, Senegal.
The objective is to sharpen the participants’ leadership skills and build new pathways towards malaria eradication.
The Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr Anthony Nsiah-Asare, who opened the course on Monday (June 3), said Ghana had made significant progress in its efforts to control and eliminate malaria, over the years.
For instance, he said, deaths due to malaria recorded at the health facilities consistently reduced from 3,259 in 2011 to 147 in 2022.
Malaria parasite prevalence in children under five years also reduced from 27percent in 2011 to 8.6 percent in 2022, Dr Nsiah-Asare added.
“These achievements were as a result of concerted and coordinated efforts of the Ministry of Health, and Ghana Health Services, with support from partners,” he added.
The newspaper reports that the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has given an assurance that when re-elected, his government will work in close collaboration with the Ghana Chamber of Telecommunications (GCT) and other stakeholders to address issues confronting the growth of the sector more efficiently.
He said with his experience which spans over 30 years as former Deputy Minister of Communications and a substantial Minister who had contributed significantly to the development of the industry in the country, he understood the workings in the sector better.
The former President gave the assurance during a meeting with the leadership of the GCT and its sister organisation, EMIs Chamber of Ghana, in Accra last Monday. The meeting discussed some key issues and challenges affecting the operations of the industry.
Mr Mahama was accompanied by a team, including the Member of Parliament (MP) for Ningo-Prampram, Samuel Nartey George, while the GCT was led by its Chairman, Patricia Obo-Nai, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Telecel Ghana.
Others were the acting CEO of AT, Leo Skarlatos; the CEO of MTN Ghana, Stephen Blewett; the Managing Director of Helios Towers Ghana, Angelo Govina; the CEO of GCT, Dr Kenneth Ashigbey, and some officials of the GCT.
The EMIs Chamber was also represented by its founding chairman and Director for Telecel Cash, Philip Amoateng; the acting Managing Director of AT Money, Mohammed Alhassan; the CEO of Mobile Money Limited, Shaibu Haruna; the Operations Lead at G-Money, Edem Kpodo, and other representatives.
The meeting formed part of efforts by the two chambers to share their platform with all the political parties ahead of the December 7 elections this year, with the hope that their issues would be captured in their respective manifestos and implemented when they come to power.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) flag bearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is also expected to engage the chambers in Accra on June 7, 2024. Some of the issues discussed included repeal of the E-Levy law, ease of access to Ghana Card database, creating conducive and supportive policies, an enabling tax regime, reducing cost of doing business, ensuring sustainable promotion of local content and facilitating cross-border payments for the sector.
GIK/APA