The renowned animal breeding center Semanhyia Farms and Farming in Africa, located in Berekum Senase in the Bono Region, is facing an unexpected obstacle.
The Berekum traditional leaders have ordered the closure of the GH¢5 million investment, citing a cultural taboo against goat husbandry in the Berekum area as the reason for the order.
The farm, which has been operating in the area for the past five years and cost GH¢5 million, has been ordered to stop operations because of a taboo that forbids breeding goats in Berekum.
The leaders of the traditional community have given a two-week ultimatum for the removal of all goats from the farm, even though the farm’s creator and CEO, Fredrick Benneh Frimpong, has established climate-resistant infrastructure and implemented creative feeding solutions.
The butchering of wandering goats during the late Berekumhene’s funeral is one recent incident that led to the abrupt implementation of the taboo.
In a social media video, Benneh Frimpong emphasized the GH¢1 million in major investments made in 2023 as part of his commitment to revolutionizing Ghana’s livestock business.
This involved the introduction of high-value South African goat varieties, each valued at US$1500, as well as the growth of semanhyia grass and the excavation of three boreholes for water supply. Furthermore, the GH¢400,000 construction of the largest goat pen in West Africa is currently in peril.
Although the community has raised goats in the same location in the past without incident, the current implementation of the taboo presents a serious risk to Benneh Frimpong’s investment and the sustainability of Semanhyia Farms.
In addition to endangering the state-of-the-art facilities, like the recently built warehouse and installed machinery, the closure also interferes with the ongoing effort to transform cattle breeding and rearing in Ghana.
The sudden shutdown of the farm puts its economic survival in jeopardy and raises concerns about how to strike a balance between traditional beliefs and contemporary agricultural endeavors, even in spite of Benneh Frimpong’s best efforts to conform to local norms and demonstrate his dedication to sustainable farming practices.
The local community is currently battling the effects on job prospects, the overall economy, and the possible derailment of the audacious plan to revolutionize Ghana’s livestock sector. The future of Semanhyia Farms and the GH¢5 million investment is still up in the air as the farm owners deal with this unexpected obstacle. More talks with local officials are required.
Watch the video above
https://www.facebook.com/farminginafricaofficial/videos/813256567274480/
