Accra, March 22, GNA - Dr. Gheysika Agambila, Deputy Minister Designate for Science and Environment on Tuesday called on the private sector to support research institutions in the country to enhance national development.

"Our scientists need the active support of our private sector to develop technologies which can be used for national wealth creation," he said.

Dr. Agambila made the call when he commissioned a five-tonne walk-in Cold Store at constructed at a cost of 170 million cedis, which was 70 per cent financed by the National Investment Bank (NIB). The Bank provides 120 million cedis to facilitate the construction of the cold store for the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research Animal Research Institute(CSRI-ARI) at Kantamaso-Frafraha in Accra Dr. Agambila said the government is committed in improving the livelihood of farmers in the country.

He said this could be achieved by improving production and the productivity of our farmers.

The Minister urged livestock farmers who constitute about 75 per cent of rural families to adopt income-enhancing practices in order to reduce poverty. He said the Ministry through (CSRI-ARI) would make every effort to assist farmers make more money, not through more productive commercial animal but through value addition to meat and other animal protein sources such as milk.

Dr. Aning Director of CSRI -ARI said the primary objective of the Animal Research Institute is to develop and transfer to farmers entrepreneurial technologies that would promote sustainable animal farming to reduce poverty.

He said government thrust to modernize and commercialise agriculture through agribusiness demands the appropriate technology development efforts from CSRI.

The Director said they are committed to developing packages that would encourage smallholder farmers to produce more livestock to enhance livelihoods and support school leavers to take up animal agriculture as a vocation. Mr. Daniel Gyimah, Managing Director of NIB, said that it is unfortunate that over the years post harvest loses in the agriculture sector have been of a major concern in the agricultural sector of the economy.

He said the bank is committed to cooperate with research institutions and the private sector to bring government's dream of commercialising CSRI.

Mr. Gyimah said the Bank is committed in playing its part as a responsible partner in the community.

He said the role is to put back into the "community in which we operate and developing our people for our common good, especially where the cause is for the benefit of the country." 22 March 05