The Eatwell Practical Rabbitory International (EPRI), a non-governmental organisation (NGO) involved in the promotion of simple techniques and skills for rearing of rabbits and vegetable cultivation, is to equip 150 people in the Ashanti Region with vegetable growing and rabbit rearing skills by June this year.

Mr K.A. Abu Seidu, Director of the EPRI, who announced this, said since January the EPRI had trained and equipped 75 farmers and non-farmers with basic skills in the rearing of rabbits and cultivation of a variety of vegetables in the Region.

Mr Seidu was speaking at a forum organised by the EPRI for farmers and idling youth at Nobewam in the Ejisu-Juaben District to explain to them the importance of diversifying their agricultural practices.

He said 15 out of the 75 people already trained were retired public and civil servants.

Mr Seidu said rabbit rearing particularly, was less tedious but more profitable and, therefore, urged not only retired workers but even those still in active service to go into that venture to increase their earnings.

Nana Adu Gyamfi II, Chief of Nobewam, lauded the activities of EPRI in the area since their programmes were gradually transforming the economic lives of farmers and the youth in the area for the better.

He noted that with the intervention of the EPRI, many youth, who were previously idling, had now taken to rabbit rearing and vegetable cultivation and that this had helped tremendously in solving the unemployment and poverty problems in the area.

Nana Adu Gyamfi, however, appealed to the government and corporate organisations to assist the EPRI to enable it to promote its programmes to many more people since its activities were currently free-of-charge.