'Zoom fresh Tilapia' to hit markets in U/W Region soon

Wa, Jan. 31,GNA – The symbolic harvest of fish from the Zoomlion community based Cage Fish Culture Project dubbed “Zoom fresh Tilapia” took place on Monday at Busa in the Wa Municipality.

The tilapia would soon hit the markets in the Upper West region.

The project, which is being implemented by Zoomlion Ghana Limited; a private waste management company, is jointly sponsored by the Governments of Ghana and Canada.

Speaking at a ceremony to mark the symbolic harvest of the fish, Mr. Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, Deputy Minister of Local Government and Rural Development said government was committed to providing real opportunities to better the lot of its rural folks and commended the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) for its continuous support in that direction.

He commended Zoomlion for its innovativeness and called for the replication of the project in the three Northern Regions, since it had the ability of eliminating poverty and ensuring food security among the people.

He announced that the World Bank was also committing an amount of US60 million dollars to support youth development activities in the country, and urged the youth to take advantage of the Local Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP) and the Youth Enterprises and Skills Development Programme (YESDEP), among others, to better their lot.

Ms. Loree Semeluk, CIDA Second Secretary of Development at the Canadian High Commission said the Government of Canada, through CIDA, was supporting Ghana with an amount of 14.3 Canadian dollars to implement its Food Security and Environmental Facility.

She said the project was for both men and women and had the potential of improving on the income and nutritional status of the people if proper measures were put in place to ensure its sustainability.

Mr Cezar Kale, Deputy Upper West Regional Minister said about 70 percent of the region's population was engaged in agriculture and commended Zoomlion for implementing the project in the region.

He advised those who do not see fish farming as a lucrative venture to reconsider their thoughts and commit themselves to the new approach.

He noted that the expected high fish production would not only bring about jobs and wealth creation but also contribute to the establishment and expansion of existing local based industries in the country.

Mr Kale advised the community members against bush burning and other negative tendencies, which affects the environment.

Mr Emmanuel Volsuuri, Upper West Regional Manager of Zoomlion Ghana Limited, appealed for more funds to expand the project from the initial two to cover about 150 dams in the region.

GNA