NGO supports poultry farmers in the north

The African Development Organisation for Migration (AFDOM), a Tamale-based non-governmental organisation (NGO) working to reduce poverty and the spate of irregular migration among youth, has launched a programme to support poultry farmers and interested individuals to improve upon the local and exotic poultry production in the Northern Region.

The programme dubbed: “Sankofa Family Poultry Programme,” was launched at Chanzini in the Tamale Metropolis, and is said to be the best practice for improving rural livelihoods, especially during off farming seasons.

Even though the Northern Region is noted to be the highest producer of local poultry, precisely guinea fowl and chicken, available records indicate that the demand for poultry far exceeds supply.

This indicates that the people of the north are now only interested in consuming and selling the guinea fowls and the local chickens without making any serious efforts to replace them.

Demand for guinea fowl and local poultry eggs is also on the rise, but they are even more expensive than the exotic ones.

As a result, AFDOM, in collaboration with the European Commission and the United Nations Joint Migration and Development Initiative, has introduced the Sankofa Family Poultry project on a pilot basis, to strengthen smallholder poultry production in the Tamale Metropolis and Dangme West District.

In all, about 300 beneficiaries would be engaged by the project within the next 16 months.

Each beneficiary would receive between 150 and 200 layers, as well as financial and technical support.

However, the Executive Director of AFDOM, Munkaila Aminu, at the launching ceremony, said his organisation was using the Sankofa project to reduce poverty and irregular migration among the youth of the north.

He indicated that the project had been lauded by the European Commission as one of the best practices in enhancing the living conditions of the rural people, especially in paying their children's school fees, hospital bills, and keeping the house in general.

According to Mr. Aminu, very little effort was required by the farmers or individual families to go into the local poultry production, but with maximum benefits.

He therefore advised the rural folks to participate in the Sankofa Project for their own benefit.

The Tamale Metropolitan Veterinary Officer, Dr. Evans Nsoh, also advised the beneficiary farmers to resort to technical and veterinary advice, to ensure the survival and sustainability of the Sankofa Project.