Paga (U/E), Dec. 16, GNA - The Ministry of Food and Agriculture is to distribute 21,000 goats and sheep to 2,100 farmers in 35 project districts through the Livestock Development Project.

The Deputy Minister of MOFA, Dr. Alfred Tia Sugri, said this at the launch of the Project dubbed" Credit in Kind Scheme" at Paga in the Kassena Nankana East District.

Under the programme farmers would be assisted with ruminants which would be mainly "Djallonke" Sheep and "West Africa Dwarf" goats on credit. The Minister, who is the Member of Parliament for Nalerigu, presented 600 ruminants to some farmers in the Talensi-Nabdam and Builsa districts as the first phase of the project.

The animals were quarantined, vaccinated and treated against endo and ecto-parasite and other diseases.

He said each beneficiary district had already selected 60 small ruminant farmers who would be given the animals. The project would spread to other parts of the three northern regions over a period of time. Dr Sugri said the Ministry was undertaking the project to increase internal meat production, reduce importation of meat, increase the income of livestock farmers and also provide employment.

He said there was great market potential for livestock farming and poultry products and any effort to produce the additional requirements of animals products locally would be an advantage to the country. The Upper East Deputy Regional Minister, Mrs. Lucy Awini, advised beneficiaries to take good care of the animals and to collaborate with the MOFA to ensure that the scheme is sustained