The Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Division is one of the five (5) divisions of the Fisheries Commission. It is responsible for the monitoring, control and surveillance of all fishing operations within the fishery waters of Ghana by whatever appropriate means. This include, the management and running of a satellite base station for data transmission relating to the activities of foreign fishing vessels licensed to operate within the zone, the enforcement of the Fisheries Act 625, the Regulations and any other enactment relating to the regulation of fishing activities.

Read more: Overview of Monitoring, Control and Surveillance Division (Mcs) of the Fisheries Commission

Livestock production is an important feature of the country’s agriculture, and accounts for 14% of agricultural GDP.

It is also a major source of income for farmers in the country. Its socio economic importance in the reduction of rural poverty cannot be over emphasized.

According to the Animal Production Directorate of the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Ghana currently  imports over 240,000 MT of meat that is, chicken, beef and others to make up for its meat deficit costing the country over USD375 million annually.

The National demand for poultry meat alone is about 400,000Mt with local production of just about 57,871MT an indication that, imports of poultry meat is about 180,000MT with a shortfall of 162,129 MT.

Read more: Revamping the Poultry Sector in Ghana

Many doubted him, some said it was not possible. One time Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more Genesis 37: 5

Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto assumed office in 2017 as the Minister for Food and Agriculture with a commitment and an agenda to transform agriculture and put it on a sustainable path of accelerated growth and development for larger economic and social benefits to the nation.

 Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto on several platforms will often ask, ‘if Ghana is so much blessed with arable lands why do we still see so much poverty, Poor subsistence farmers who are living degraded lives?’ The yields of these farmers are well below their family’s requirements, which, in turn necessitates the importation of millions of tons of grain and animal products every year. Year after year the perpetuation of the dependency cycle continues and the poor get poorer and poorer.

Read more: Planting for Food and Jobs(PFJ); the Dream and Vision of Reality

Bernard Baruch an American financier and stock investor once said, “Agriculture is the greatest and fundamentally the most important of our industries. The cities are but the branches of the tree of national life, the roots of which go deeply into the land. We all flourish or decline with the farmer.”  

The above statement sounds literally true, because the very existence of man depends largely on agriculture. For this reason, the priorities of the agricultural sector are aligned to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They particularly respond to Goal 2 which assures to end hunger and ensure access by all people to safe nutritious and sufficient food all year round and Goal 8 which promotes sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth through high value added, labour intensive sectors as agriculture.

Read more: Agric Sector in Perspective