Ghana Veterinary Medical Association (GVMA) has acknowledged the enormous contribution and sacrifices that farmers make towards achieving food and nutritional security as well as contributing to economic growth.
The Association said the agricultural sector had been the backbone of the economy and contributed significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employment.
A statement copied to the Ghana News Agency in Accra said over the years, veterinary services delivery systems had played a key role in reaching this milestone, by providing effective technical and advisory support for Ghanaian farmers.
The statement said it was laudable and required the application of digital and scientific approaches in an integrated way to provide solutions to challenges in the agricultural sector where every stakeholder has a critical role to play for sustainability.
It said veterinary service delivered in Ghana had resulted in a successful containment of zoonotic and transboundary animal disease outbreak
s such as Bird Flu (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI), Anthrax, Rabies, African Swine Fever (ASF), and others.
‘We however, take this opportunity to remind our farmers that the Bird Flu (AI) outbreaks are still active and government of Ghana is yet to lift the ban on movement of poultry and poultry products in the outbreaks areas’, it added.
The Association advised poultry, livestock and fish farmers on improving farm biosecurity as a means of preventing infectious diseases, and the prudent use of antibiotics to reduce the increasing Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) of pathogens worldwide.
It pledged its support to farmers and all citizens, and assured them of unwavering commitment to providing quality animal health care and advice, for an improved livestock and poultry production, food security and safety in the country.
‘This would in turn contribute to the government’s resolve to drastically reduce the importation of meat and other animal products which had caused a significant drain on our econom
y’, it said.
It appealed to government and donor communities to increase their support to the animal health sector through retooling of the Veterinary services and its allied institutions such as fisheries, wildlife, private veterinary hospitals or clinics and the veterinary medical schools.
Source: Ghana News Agency