Akatsi, June 15, GNA- About 400 farmers, mainly women in 17 groups from four districts in the Volta Region, have received poverty intervention packages from Development Solution Centre, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) to help them improve upon their agriculture activities. These included animals and beehives under a small community animal breeding programme.

In all 3000 cockerels, 400 ducks, 600 goats and sheep, 300 grasscutters, 600 beehives, cages and pens were presented to beneficiaries from Akatsi, Keta, Ketu South and Ketu North districts who also received training in animal breeding. After a year or two, beneficiaries would return the same number of birds and animals received to be given to other people to expand the scheme.

Mr Charles Nornoo, Executive Director of the NGO, disclosed these at a durbar to climax the distribution of the packages on Friday at Akatsi.

He said the NGO had planned to distribute about 1100 ruminants, about 1000 beehives, 1000 poultry, 400 grasscutters and 400 ducks with cages to more farmers in the four districts within three years. Mr Nornoo appealed to government to support agriculture to reduce poverty in the country. Mr John Heloo, Ghana Country Director of Heifer Project International (HPI), sponsors of the scheme, said HPI was collaborating with other groups towards the fight against poverty and hunger in the country by ensuring food security. He advised the beneficiaries to share ideas among themselves to ensure the success of the scheme. Mr Kofi Abledu, Akatsi District Chief Executive, urged the recipients of the package to work hard to expand scheme which he said was within the poverty reduction policy of government.