Sunyani (B/A) March 15, GNA - Nana Kwadwo Seinti, Brong Ahafo Regional Minister, has asked Ghanaians to evolve more reliable and sustainable ways of providing the nation's food requirements. Nana Seinti was addressing a three-day stakeholders' workshop, on "The Promotion of Grasscutter Production".

Hundred (100) participants including directors of agriculture, farmers, heads of department and agricultural extension officers are attending the workshop.

Nana Seinti said there was the need to boost the domestic production of grasscutter to minimise the negative pressure that the high demand for it had exerted on the specie in particular and the environment in general.

"The combined effects of indiscriminate trapping, deliberate poisoning and group hunting has resulted in a visible reduction in the population of wild grasscutters," he said.

Nana Seinti urged stakeholders in grasscutter production to learn from the extensive experience of stakeholders in Benin and Nigeria, especially in the area of research and production.

The Regional Minister later inaugurated a grasscutter training centre.

Mr Richard Ghartey, Deputy Regional Director of Food and Agriculture said grasscutter production was introduced to the Region, six years ago through the joint effort of the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and the government.

Speaking to newsmen later Mr Francis Sarkodie, Chairman of the Regional Grasscutter Farmers Association and Chief Facilitator at the workshop, said topics to be discussed included: "Animal Husbandry", "Construction of Cages", "Feeding", "Handling", "Economics of Grasscutter", "Formation of Associations" and "Health and Reproduction".

Mr Albert Amankwah, Regional Development Officer of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture said the Region had 3,000 out of 10,000-grasscutter population in the country.