The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) – Animal Research Institute (ARI), has launched a training program for young poultry and livestock farmers across all 16 regions, marking a significant step towards creating jobs, improving food security, and building a resilient agribusiness sector.
Speaking at the launch held at the Animal Research Institute in Adenta, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Agriculture Economist and politician, Dr. Peter Boamah Otokunor, expressed the government’s appreciation to organizers and partners, including Feedico Company Limited and the CSIR Animal Research Institute.
According to Dr. Boamah, the training program is a turning point in Ghana’s efforts to create meaningful jobs, improve food security, and build a resilient agribusiness value chain
“The training of young poultry and live stock farmers across the country under the team empowering youth, securing livelihoods, advancing Ghana’s poultry and livestock future through agribusiness innovations mark a turning point in our national efforts to create meaningful jobs, improve food security and build resilient agribusiness value change,” he added
He also noted that, President John Dramani Mahama is implementing forward-looking agribusiness programs through the agriculture for economic transformation gender, for the good people of Ghana.
He further said the program aims to create jobs, reduce imports, and secure livelihoods, while building Ghana’s next generation of entrepreneurs.
This is to create jobs, reduce imports secure livelihood especially for young men and women. It is not just a program, it is a platform to build Ghana’s next generation of entrepreneurs,” he mentioned
Dr. Boamah remarked that Ghana’s poultry meat import exceeds $600 million annually, while local producers face challenges due to high feed costs, low productivity, and inadequate technical support.
In his view, the initiative aims to create 900,000 direct jobs by 2028 and 1.7 million indirect jobs in agribusiness for young people.
“We believe that by this initiative, which is a key pillar for the agriculture for economic transformation program, we would be able to create at least 900,000 direct jobs by 2028 and be able to help to improve the input supply team management for farmers and along this process sort some 1.7 million indirect jobs in the agribusiness value for our young people,” he declared.
Also, he mentioned that he hopes to replace the billions of cedis spent on importing livestock with home growth produce freeing foreign exchange in the process, and stabilizing prices and increases exports of high quality Ghanaian food products.
Also, he stated that the program aims to develop the agri-value chain through various activities, including modernization, mechanization, and innovative financing, to support farmers.
