Mr Hayford Yao Dometi, founder of Effort Beekeepers Association in the South Dayi District of the Volta Region, has appealed to government, philanthropists and benevolent organisations for support to expand their businesses to help grow the local economy.

He said lack of funding was a challenge to the Association’s effort to expand the venture and maximise production of honey and its products to feed the local economy.

Mr Dometi in an interview with the Ghana News Agency during a day's training for members of the Association said the apiculture could help curb the unemployment when given the needed boost.

Mr Noah Adenyikor, the Secretary to the Association, said since its establishment in 2007, the entity went through several challenges but remained focused on its goal to empower people to eradicate poverty.

He appealed for a vehicle to enable the Association to transport the product from the apiary to the processing and packaging centre.

Mr Adenyikor said one of the main objectives of the Association was to empower people, especially the youth to take up the venture.

Prosper Atikor, a trainer at Adidome Farm Institute, which is under the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, and providing skills training for farmers to improve productivity commended the Association for impacting positively on their communities.

He said the Institute would continue to equip members of the Association and other farmers with the needed skills to undertake and promote their businesses.

Mr Atikor extolled them for effectively utilising the knowledge and skills they acquired and willing to share it with their community members, and encouraged them to continue as the socio-economic growth and development of the country required a collective effort.

Some participants, who spoke to GNA, said the training was helpful and were grateful to the organisers and pledged to put the knowledge they acquired to good use to transform their lives.