Efforts to create a vibrant livestock and poultry industry in the West African sub-region have received a boost with the launch of the West Africa Livestock Marketing Support Programme, Phase Two (PACBAO-2), in Accra.
The $10-million initiative, which will run from 2024 to 2028, is being funded by the Swiss Government through the Swiss Agency for Development Co-operation and follows the successful implementation of Phase One of the programme between 2018 and 2023.
It is aimed at modernising the intra-regional trade in livestock and red meat, strengthening stakeholder capacities, and improving the policy and regulatory environment.
As part of the programme, was a three-day workshop to discuss and share the success stories as well as challenges of the first Phase of the project.
Speaking at the launch, the ECOWAS Resident Representative in Ghana, Ambassador Mohammed Lawan Gana, described the project as an important step towards realising the ECOWAS Vision 2050.
“This knowledge-sharing and dissemination workshop provides us the opportunity to consolidate lessons learned from Phase One and to chart a clear course for the second phase,” he said.
Mr Gana said the second phase of PACBAO aimed to increase intra-regional trade flows by 30 per cent for livestock and 15 per cent for red meat.
“The objective is to meet the meat needs of West Africa and the Sahel by reducing dependence on imports while strengthening cross-border exchanges,” he explained.
Mr Gana commended ECOWAS member states, technical partners and producer organisations for their support in developing regional agricultural policy initiatives, including PACBAO.
The Deputy Head of Mission and Head of Cooperation of the Embassy of Switzerland to Ghana, Togo and Benin, Ms Janine Walz, reaffirmed her country’s commitment to supporting the livestock sector in West Africa.
“Livestock is more than an economic sector. It provides nutrition, resilience and income for millions of families. Yet challenges such as limited market access, weak sanitary standards and insufficient opportunities for youth and women remain. Switzerland is proud to support this collective effort and we will stand by it until its objectives are achieved,” she said.
Ms Walz emphasised that the Sahelian countries were the main producers of livestock, while coastal states were the largest consumers.
“This trade is vital to food security and regional integration, but it is hampered by insecurity, poor infrastructure and high transport costs. PACBAO is therefore a concrete manifestation of the political will to develop the livestock sector,” she added.
On his part, the Minister of Food and Agriculture, Mr Eric Opoku, said livestock contributed about 14 per cent of Ghana’s agricultural Gross Domestic Product providing jobs and income to rural communities.
However, he noted that the country continued to import significant quantities of meat to meet domestic demand.
“Government has prioritised policies to improve sustainable production and market development, with particular focus on poultry. Our aim is to modernise production systems, improve disease control and surveillance, expand access to finance and feed, and engage more young people in livestock enterprises,” he stated.
Mr Opoku said Ghana was committed to working with ECOWAS and its partners to strengthen the livestock value chain and bridge the persistent shortfall in local meat production.
“As President John Dramani Mahama has said, we cannot talk about transforming Ghana if we cannot put affordable food on the table for our people. The PACBAO-2 programme aligns perfectly with our vision,” he added.
PACBAO-2, which is expected to bring together ministries, regional organisations, cooperatives, farmers’ associations and private sector actors, will consolidate and amplify the achievements of Phase One.
The launch attracted more than 60 participants from across the sub-region such as the Benin, the Gambia, Cote D’Ivore, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mali, Namibia, Mali and Togo.
Photo: Mr Opoku (middle) and Mr Gana (middle) with participants in the programme.
BY KINGSLEY ASARE