Youth, Join Government Livestock Programmes for Your Future-Dr. Yaa Osei

  

Dr. Doris Yaa Osei, Acting Deputy Director of the CSIR-Animal Research Institute (CSIR-ARI), has called on the youth of Ghana to actively participate in government-led initiatives in poultry and livestock farming to secure their future and contribute meaningfully to national development.

Speaking during the official launch of the “Roadmap on Youth Training in Poultry and Livestock Farming” at the Institute’s premises in Adentan, Dr. Osei urged young Ghanaians to take advantage of the various opportunities emerging from the government’s agricultural transformation agenda, particularly under the ‘Feed Ghana Programme’.

“This is your moment to take charge of your future. The livestock sector is full of potential—get involved, get trained, and start something. The government is creating the platform, but it is up to you, the youth, to make the most of it,” she said.

She emphasized the critical role livestock production plays in rural income generation and national food security. In 2023, Ghana imported over 81,000 metric tonnes of meat, highlighting the need to scale up local production. Dr. Osei noted that increased grain production through the Grains and Legumes Development Project will help address the feed shortages for poultry, pigs, and micro-livestock.

She pointed out that although the youth are key players in the livestock value chain, they face numerous challenges. “We must empower them with the right skills and support to become successful agripreneurs,” she stated.

CSIR-ARI, according to Dr. Osei, is well-positioned to lead this effort. The Institute offers technical knowledge and hands-on training for both subsistence and commercial farmers. It also engages in research, veterinary services, and laboratory diagnostics while partnering with the private sector to expand its impact.

Among the Institute’s innovations are agro-industrial feed packages, multi-nutritional blocks for ruminants, improved breeds of sheep and goats, quality meat and dairy products, and advanced poultry vaccination regimes. It also hosts the CSIR College of Science and Technology’s Department of Animal Resources Development, training postgraduate students in animal nutrition, health, and production.

The new roadmap targets training 10,000 youth across all 16 regions by 2030 and aims to boost national poultry meat self-sufficiency from 20% to at least 50% within five years. The broader goal is to promote job creation across hatcheries, feed production, veterinary services, and marketing through agribusiness value chain integration.

Dr. Osei concluded her remarks with a passionate appeal: “Let us work together to build a resilient, youth-driven livestock sector. The future of agriculture is in your hands.”