The African Development Bank (ADB) has accepted to provide a loan of 24.8 million dollars to revamp the livestock sub-sector under a Livestock Development Project (LDP) in the country.

The implementation of the project will contribute to poverty reduction, enhance food security and reduce the importation of livestock and dairy projects.Major Courage Quashigah (RTD), Minister of Food and Agriculture, said this in a speech read on his behalf at the launch of the Ashanti Region Livestock Development Project on Wednesday.

It was held under the theme, "Livestock Production, Ghana's Hope for Food Security, Wealth Creation and Healthy People", and was attended by research institutions, agricultural extension agents, farmers and District Chief Executives.

The Minister said the project will be located in 25 districts of seven regions namely, Upper East and West, Northern, Brong-Ahafo, Ashanti, Greater Accra and Volta regions and it will be run for six years.

The five main components of the project, he said, are the development of animal protein production, development of animal health, capacity building, project management and provision of credit. Major Quashigah said the main activities of the project will include animal breeding, control of major animal diseases, improvement of animal husbandry, processing and marketing as well as training of staff, farmers and entrepreneurs.

He said monitoring and evaluation of the project will be the responsibility of the Livestock Planning and Information Unit (LPIU) of the Policy Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation directorate (PPMED) of the ministry.

The Minister said provision of credit to private livestock farmers has been factored into the project for the first time and that 5.4 million dollars has been provided to enable farmers buy livestock for breeding, put up animal houses, procure feed and veterinary products and to process and market livestock products.

"It is equally important to mention that it is also the first time that funds have been made available for HIV/AIDS, guinea worm and malaria prevention campaigns in livestock development and 0.28 million dollars has been provided for this purpose," he said.

He said under the capacity building component of the project, 2,500 livestock farmers, processors and traders will be trained in addition to 50 professional staff, 750 agricultural agents and 60 community livestock workers. In order to reduce the plight of livestock farmers in the dry season, 44 dams and 28 boreholes will be provided in those areas under the project.

Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama, Ashanti Regional Manager of the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), said the ADB has been providing financial intermediations to farmers including livestock and poultry farmers since its establishment in 1965.

However, he said, the concentration has been on financing small, medium and large-scale poultry farmers.Mr Sampson Kwaku Boafo, Ashanti Regional Minister in a speech read on his behalf, said he was happy to know that the districts involved in the project in the Ashanti region are Ejisu-Juaben, Kumasi and Ejura-Sekyedumase.