Story & Pix: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Sumbrungu
Guinea Fowl production in the Upper East Region have been given a boost with an introduction of an Out Grower’s scheme to help train young men and women interested in venturing in that venture.
Under a programme initiated by the Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme, as many young men and women who are interested in venturing into Guinea Fowl production will be trained in the production and marketing o f the birds, which has become a delicacy not only in Ghana but also in other countries.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Sumbrungu, the Chief Executive Officer of Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme, Mr. Henry Kangah said the establishment of a guinea fowl out grower programme is aimed at boosting efforts geared towards increasing the nutritional status of the region and increase the incomes of farmers especially the youth.
“We need to ensure that we create an environment for them to produce the guinea fowl in such a way that it will attract good market and offer sustainable incomes”, he said.
Mr Kangah said the project has targeted to train 2,000 youth within the project catchment area to be trained in collaboration with the National Youth Employment Programme. According to him, 20 training centres have been established in Upper East and they hope to replicate it in the Northern and Upper West Regions.
According to him, under the programmes, beneficiaries will be enrolled through the NYEP after which they will be taken through registration and a two week orientation programme during which beneficiaries will be given the opportunity to select an area of specialisation along the value chain.
The areas include hatching, brooding, feeding, processing of the birds, marketing of the products and processing of the feathers into other value added products such as crashing of the feathers to produce pillows and other products.
He said after a six month training programme, each beneficiary would be supported with start-ups to go into production.
“Guinea fowl is a product that has high nutritional value. It is a lean meat and the demand for it far outweighs supply. If you do a simple survey in the various restaurants, hotels and grill bars, you will realise that Guinea fowl has a higher value but the supply is low so that if we are able to produce Guinea Fowls, we are sure there will be ready market for it. The multiplying effect is that more jobs will be created for our youth”, Mr. Kangah said.
Vice President John Mahama, who toured the facility over the weekend said, Guinea fowl meat is not only a delicacy in Ghana but also in some parts of Europe where the meat is most preferred that Chicken.
He urged the youth to embrace the concept and go into it adding that, if successfully carried out and replicated in the savannah ecological zone, it has the potential to empower the youth and create wealth through export to the international market.
-End-
Story & Pix: Benjamin Xornam Glover, Sumbrungu
Guinea Fowl production in the Upper East Region have been given a boost with an introduction of an Out Grower’s scheme to help train young men and women interested in venturing in that venture.
Under a programme initiated by the Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme, as many young men and women who are interested in venturing into Guinea Fowl production will be trained in the production and marketing o f the birds, which has become a delicacy not only in Ghana but also in other countries.
Speaking to the Daily Graphic at Sumbrungu, the Chief Executive Officer of Asongtaba Cottage Industry and Exchange Programme, Mr. Henry Kangah said the establishment of a guinea fowl out grower programme is aimed at boosting efforts geared towards increasing the nutritional status of the region and increase the incomes of farmers especially the youth.
“We need to ensure that we create an environment for them to produce the guinea fowl in such a way that it will attract good market and offer sustainable incomes”, he said.
Mr Kangah said the project has targeted to train 2,000 youth within the project catchment area to be trained in collaboration with the National Youth Employment Programme. According to him, 20 training centres have been established in Upper East and they hope to replicate it in the Northern and Upper West Regions.
According to him, under the programmes, beneficiaries will be enrolled through the NYEP after which they will be taken through registration and a two week orientation programme during which beneficiaries will be given the opportunity to select an area of specialisation along the value chain.
The areas include hatching, brooding, feeding, processing of the birds, marketing of the products and processing of the feathers into other value added products such as crashing of the feathers to produce pillows and other products.
He said after a six month training programme, each beneficiary would be supported with start-ups to go into production.
“Guinea fowl is a product that has high nutritional value. It is a lean meat and the demand for it far outweighs supply. If you do a simple survey in the various restaurants, hotels and grill bars, you will realise that Guinea fowl has a higher value but the supply is low so that if we are able to produce Guinea Fowls, we are sure there will be ready market for it. The multiplying effect is that more jobs will be created for our youth”, Mr. Kangah said.
Vice President John Mahama, who toured the facility over the weekend said, Guinea fowl meat is not only a delicacy in Ghana but also in some parts of Europe where the meat is most preferred that Chicken.
He urged the youth to embrace the concept and go into it adding that, if successfully carried out and replicated in the savannah ecological zone, it has the potential to empower the youth and create wealth through export to the international market.
-End-
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