The Eastern Regional Minister, Eric Kwakye Darfour, has asked the government to accelerate work on the proposed National Cattle Ranching document.
This document will among others come up with the best ways to end incessant clashes between peasant farmers and herdsmen.
[contextly_sidebar id=”nVZwWkAGiQHUbc5UlvHQV8m3oUKxMzic”]Speaking to Citi News, the Minister said if the document is generated and passed into law, the sporadic clashes would be curbed.
“The government has tasked about four ministries to produce a national cattle Ranching document that will be sent to parliament to be approved or pushed into a law such that whoever rears cattle in Ghana, would have to abide by that document, but that has not come out yet” he said.
The conflict between herdsmen and peasant farmers in some parts of the country in the past, has led to the loss of lives, property and farm produce.
In recent times, nine persons have died from such clashes at Dwerebeafe, Aboyan and Mpeamu in the Kwahu East District of the Eastern Region.
Eric Kwakye Darfour has asked local authorities in the region to come out with by-laws for the time being that will help minimize clashes between crop farmers and herdsmen.
“In the meantime, I have asked my MMDCEs to also come out with bylaws, bring it to the state attorney, they will look into it, if it doesn’t infringe on our national constitution, they will send it back to the assembly members who will adopt them and they will become a working document that will be used to regulate cattle rearing in various jurisdictions, otherwise we do not have specific laws which will readily come into place to regulate” he said
He said cattle rearing has become a crucial part of Ghana’s agriculture economy hence the need to regulate and sanitize the sector.
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By: Farida Yusif/citifmonline.com/Ghana