The Volta Regional Department of Agriculture has as part of its functions, the monitoring and evaluation of its programmes and activities and those of the various Municipal and District Departments of Agriculture. In light of the above, the Regional Department of Agriculture held its maiden Technical Review Meeting on the 6th of April 2023 at the Anloga District Assembly Hall to assess progress of work especially for the First Quarter 2023 as well as deliberate on other issues.

The meeting was attended by the Regional Directorate of the Department, Municipal and District Directors of Department of Agriculture, and Officers at the Regional Department of Agriculture. The meeting was opened by the Hon.  District Chief Executive of Anloga who welcomed the participants to the District and commended the staff of the Department of Agriculture for their hardwork in the various municipalities and districts.  He stated how he provided the best of support to the Department in the Anloga District in order that the Department could deliver on its mandate.

He therefore entreated the participants make time and visit at least a tourist attraction in the District before returning to their various duty stations.

The various Municipal and District Directors of Department of Agriculture briefed the house on the status of ongoing projects in their respective districts. Some of the projects included OCP Soil Profiling to determine the soil types in the districts, the Ghana Agriculture Sector Investment Project (GASIP) Cockerel Project, and the Ghana Commercial Agricultural Programme (GCAP) Project amongst others.

There was a presentation by the Regional Desk Officer for the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ), Mr. Alfred Bedzra, in which he briefed the house that the PFJ would continue in 2023 and called for the disregard of rumors of the termination of the PFJ.

The Regional Livestock Officer, Mr. Godwin Agbenyegah, on his part briefed the house on poultry activities being undertaken at the Kpeve Agricultural Station. The activities included the procurement of a 2000 egg capacity incubator for the station, breeding, hatching and sales of guinea keets (guinea fowl chicks), and turkey poult (turkey chicks). He also briefed the house on works being done on the introduction of “SOLO-1”, a new variety of chicken which has been developed at the Kpeve Agricultural Station and meant to withstand local environmental conditions. The SOLO-1 is thus a dual purpose chicken for both its meat and eggs which can be reared with the free range system or the intensive system.

At the end of the meeting, participants embarked on a short trip to nearby farmers and their farms to observe and motivate the farmers.