PigGold Solutions launches initiative to help galamseyers transition into pig farming 

PigGold Solutions Enterprise, a University of Cape Coast (UCC)-based enterprise has launched a commercial piggery venture to provide sustainable and profitable alternative livelihood for people engaged in illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey.

The initiative does not merely expect people to abandon galamsey but offer them sustainable production, employment opportunities and improved economic benefits.

The project targets the production of safe, lean, tender and taint-free pork in accordance with animal welfare and One- Health standards.

The initiative was developed with mining companies seeking alternative livelihood programmes for residents of their host communities, as studies showed that piggery had strong economic prospects and could provide quick returns.

Dr Samuel Ayeh Ofori, the Managing Director of PigGold Solutions Enterprise, at the launch said the project was inspired by the traditional piggy bank, which taught children the importance of savings and the economic value of pigs and the piggery value chain.

He said the concept used pig production, pork processing, feed manufacturing and the recycling of pig manure into organic fertiliser to replace the economic benefits people sought from illegal mining.

Dr Ofori said the concept had already been implemented in Obuasi with support from AngloGold Ashanti, where some young people were trained in piggery and provided with improved breeds and foundation stock.

He said some beneficiaries had subsequently abandoned galamsey after recognising the economic prospects of piggery.

He stressed that the fight against illegal mining had to be supported by viable alternative livelihoods because galamsey was economically driven, illegal, irresponsible, unsustainable and harmful to people and water bodies.

On piggery value chain, Dr Ofori said PigGold Solutions Enterprise was working with four processing centres, one each in the Eastern and Ashanti Regions, and two in the Central Region to strengthen pig production and marketing in southern Ghana.

He said the company had plans to establish a feed mill to reduce farmers' feed costs from about 70 per cent to 50 per cent, while fertiliser centres would process pig manure to improve soil fertility and support maize and soybean production.

Dr Ofori encouraged students and other interested persons to register at the company's UCC office as product marketers, saying participants would earn commissions and qualify for cash prizes, scholarships and employment opportunities.

Launching the initiative, Professor Julius Kofi Hagan, Dean of the School of Agriculture at UCC outlined the institution's student-led farm initiative, which had trained undergraduates in commercial vegetable production and entrepreneurship to reduce graduate unemployment.

He said students had been provided with land, seeds, agrochemicals and personal protective equipment, after which they cultivated crops such as cabbage, tomatoes, lettuce, peppers, carrots, onions, okra and garden eggs on the teaching and research farm.

Rallying support, he said harvested produce was brought to the school farm for sale to the university community and the public, with proceeds paid to students after deducting input costs to teach them cost accounting and agribusiness management.

GNA