Akyem Anamase, May 6, GNA - Mr Samuel Akpade, Birim Central Municipal Agriculture Officer, on Wednesday, advised farmers to pay equal attention to livestock and poultry production as they do to food crop cultivation to help reduce poverty among them. Speaking at a forum on livestock and poultry production, at Akyem Anamase in the Birim South District, Mr Akpade said the droppings of their livestock could even serve as fertilizers. He advised them to feed their animals regularly to enable them to grow healthy and also to mix their food with a small quantity of salt to make it tasty.

Mr Akpade told the farmers to be careful about the breed of animals they buy to avoid introducing diseases to their stock, adding that they should not buy the female and male from the same mother. You should also try to regulate the mating of the animals and allow them to grow before mating.

"Keep the males and females separately so that those from the same parents would not be crossing each other." He urged them to provide good shelter for the animals and to avoid keeping them at water logged places.

Dr King David Amoah, National Co-ordinator, Ecumenical Association For Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development (ECASARD), said the objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) was to reduce extreme poverty and hunger and urged the farmers to put into practice what they had learnt to be able to live in dignity. He said records indicated that about 800 million people around the world go to bed hungry daily and advised the farmers to go into livestock and poultry production to be financially sound. Osabarima Tabi Anom, the second, Chief of Akyem Anamase, told the farmers that they did not require any huge amounts before starting livestock and poultry production.

He urged livestock farmers to share their experiences and knowledge with their colleagues to enhance their work. Osabarima Anom charged them to form co-operatives and to occasionally invite agricultural officers to educate them on modern methods of animal rearing.

Ms Doris Bekoe, a senior midwife, advised parents to give their children enough protein to ensure their healthy growth. She told couples to plan their families well to be able to cater adequately for their children.