Accra, June 20, GNA- The Ministry of Food and Agriculture, has been urged to intervene to reduce the prices of cattle and meat down. The call was made by the Greater Accra Regional Chief Butcher, Alhaji Zakaria Sofo, at a meeting of the Ghana National Butchers Co-operative Association, in Accra on Thursday.

Alhaji Sofo, who is also president of the Butchers Association, noted that the prices of cattle and meat had been escalating throughout the country. He noted that meat, which was selling for GH¢ 1.20 a pound at the Wholesale had jumped to GH¢ 1.80 a pound. Alhaji Zakaria Sofo said meat was selling for between GH¢ 2 and GH¢ 2. 20 on the market. He said government could act to bring the prices down just like its intervened to cut the prices of some food items such as grain.

Alhaji Sofo said the intervention would not be felt by consumers unless there was a correspondent decease in the price of meat to ensure affordable meals on the dinning tables of Ghanaians. He said all efforts should be made to ensure that the people had affordable balanced diet to remain healthy to contribute their quota to national development and economic wellbeing. Alhaji Sofo stressed the need for a national programme for livestock development to guarantee regular supply of livestock and meat at the market and at prices the average Ghanaian could afford to meet their daily protein requirement.