A one-week workshop for 10 representatives of farmers' groups and non-governmental organisations on the breeding of grass cutter ended at Koforidua on Thursday.

The Centre for Biodiversity Utilisation Development (CDUD) of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology sponsored the participants as part of its promotion of biological food resources.

Mr Sefa Asanti, Manager of Beenua Farms and a leading grass cutter breeder, appealed to the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to support grass cutter production, especially new breeders to enable them realise their aspirations.

He said the profession now required a large amount of money for beginners to acquire good breeder stock and to build structures to rear grass cutters.

Mr Asanti said at the moment a grass cutter structure with 12 compartments that could house a minimum of 12 grass cutters in a backyard cost 1.2 million cedis.

He said the training of more people in grass cutter breeding could help reduce bush-fires since most of the hunters who go out to burn the bush for game would realise that it was better for them to breed the grass cutters than going to waste all the energy and time to chase them in the wild.