Afram Plains Cattle Task Force, a Step in the Right Direction – Replicate it Across Ghana
Accra, Ghana – July 1, 2025 – I wish to commend the Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Hon. John Dumelo, for the bold and thoughtful inauguration of the Cattle Ranch Task Force in the Kwahu Afram Plains North District.
This forward-thinking initiative is a timely intervention to address a long-standing source of tension between crop farmers and nomadic herdsmen—conflict that has too often led to the destruction of farms, loss of livelihoods, and breakdowns in community cohesion.
By establishing a structured mechanism to regulate cattle movement and foster peaceful co-existence between herdsmen and farmers, this task force signals a new era of responsible, inclusive agricultural development. It is especially heartening that the task force was inaugurated alongside the Interprofessional Collaboration for Community Development (ICCD), reflecting the importance of multi-sectoral dialogue in building sustainable rural economies.
I strongly urge the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, in collaboration with Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), to replicate this model across all affected districts in the country—particularly in regions where tensions between farmers and herders continue to threaten peace, food security, and investment.
As a representative of Ghana’s hardworking farmers and fisherfolk, I believe the future of our agricultural sector lies in cooperation, regulation, and innovation—not conflict. This initiative, if scaled, has the potential to reduce post-harvest losses by protecting farmlands from cattle invasion, strengthen rural security and build trust among farming communities, create clear legal frameworks for land use and animal husbandry, and pave the way for inclusive development and investment across Ghana’s agriculturally rich zones.
I equally encourage all stakeholders—chiefs, traditional leaders, civil society, and farmer-based organizations—to support such task forces and help enforce local bye-laws that balance the rights and responsibilities of all actors in the agricultural value chain.
Let us make this initiative not just a regional success, but a national milestone. Together, we can build an agricultural sector where farmers and herders thrive side by side, and where food production becomes a force for unity, not division.
Signed- Dr. Peter K. Terkper
Presidential Aspirant, GNAFF
