The Ghana Livestock Development Network, the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) and the Veterinary and Animal Services department of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (Livestock), have met to deliberate on and finalize the draft of Ghana’s Livestock and Animal Production Bill.

The networks held the first Gap Analysis Workshop held in the Volta Region from February 23-26 2016 to amend Ghana’s current Livestock Bill which has been in existence since 1961. 

In her opening remarks, Mrs. Annie Dela Akanko, Knowledgement Management Manager of the Africa Lead project, a USAID and Feed the Future funded project stated “The Ghana Livestock Development Network (GLIDEN) is one of nine networks that was formed to bring together the various organizations working in the livestock sector. The Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers (GNAPF) is the host organization of the Ghana Livestock Development Network whose goal is to “develop and promote the livestock sector in Ghana.” 

Among its objectives are to advocate for the review and passage of the veterinary and animal production bill as well sensitize livestock farmers concerning the adoption of and compliance to livestock legislation.

The Networks want the Government of Ghana to better regulate the livestock industry in order to reduce imports eventually increasing local production and the farmer’s income. 

Dr. Hannah Bissiw, the Deputy Minister for Agriculture (Livestock), who was guest of honor, mentioned “The government is committed to seeing Ghana’s agriculture grow and we desire that Ghanaians will have and eat what is produced in Ghana. Ghana has a rich livestock sector, we can boast of very good and healthy meat. His Excellency the President and the Minister are both keen on seeing this bill passed into law to help regulate and improve Ghana’s livestock sector.”
 
She expressed the government’s gratitude to all its donor partners especially USAID for supporting GLIDEN and MOFA in this laudable quest which “will help shape up Ghana’s livestock sector. 

She also acknowledged that the crop sector had more support than the livestock and that the Government appreciates donor partners such as USAID for the support to the Livestock Sector.”

Representatives of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Attorney General’s Office, Ministry of Finance, Ghana Food and Drugs Authority, Ghana Statistical Service, Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, Ghana Cooperative Butchers Association, Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers participated in the workshop. 

On his part, Dr. Akunzule, the Deputy Director of Veterinary Services and National Livestock Policy Focal Point, said “What we have gathered here to do today is very important to us in the livestock and animal production sector. This is a very important assignment which will help us refine our existing laws. At the Sogakope Gap Analysis workshop in 2016, we had the Head of the Legal Drafting division of the Ministry of Justice and Attorney General’s department give us a brief on the process of enacting laws in Ghana. He gave us a matrix to help us compare what our existing laws are and where the gaps are. These two days we will ensure that we work on the gaps we identified in Sogakope.”

Africa Lead, USAID’s primary capacity building program in sub Saharan Africa works to help realize the Feed the Future (FTF) and the African Union’s Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program (CAADP) goals of reduced hunger and poverty by building the capacity of champions, institutions and stakeholders to develop, lead and manage the structures needed for African-led agriculture transformation.