24-hour International Livestock Market opens at Volivo to boost jobs and agribusiness

A 24-hour International Livestock Market has been inaugurated at Volivo in the Shai-Osudoku District of the Greater Accra Region, with the aim of transforming livestock trade, creating jobs and strengthening Ghana’s agricultural value chain.

The market facility, provided by the Lower-Volta Association of Small-scale Miners and Farmers, comprises production and processing zones, logistics infrastructure and a dedicated trade centre. It has been designed as a comprehensive agribusiness hub to enhance livestock production, expand regional trade and generate sustainable employment, particularly for youth and women.

When fully operational, the market is expected to create more than 1,600 direct and indirect jobs for farmers, traders, transporters, processors and other allied service providers.

Speaking at the launch, the project leader and former Assemblyman for the Kotoko Electoral Area, Mr Godwin Ogah Awudi, said the initiative addresses long-standing challenges in Ghana’s livestock sector, including fragmented markets, limited value addition and post-harvest losses.

He explained that Volivo’s strategic location along the Lower Volta corridor positions it as a key trading hub linking southern Ghana to the northern regions and neighbouring countries.

“This initiative goes beyond buying and selling animals. It is about building a complete value chain that supports production, processing, trade and sustainability,” Mr Awudi said. “By operating 24 hours, the market ensures continuous trade and reduces losses caused by delays.”

According to him, the facility is organised into several thematic areas to strengthen the agricultural value chain. Trade Livestock24 provides structured spaces for trading cattle, sheep, goats and local poultry, while Rear Livestock24 promotes intensive ranching to ensure a steady supply of healthy animals.

He noted that environmental sustainability is a major component of the project. Under Aquatic Weed Harvest24, aquatic weeds from the Lower Volta are converted into affordable livestock feed, while improving water flow and ecosystem health.

Aquaculture24, he added, supports small-holder cage culture for tilapia, catfish and heterotis, boosting fish production and improving local livelihoods. Make-Livestock & Fish24 incorporates a modern slaughterhouse and processing facility for deboning, sausage production and small-scale fish feed manufacturing.

Other components include Grow24, which promotes small-scale irrigation farming of crops such as rice, maize, cassava, plantain and soya beans, and Build24, which encourages environmentally responsible sand dredging to support infrastructure development.

Chief Alhaji Iddrisu Mohammed Bingle, National President of the National Council of Fulani Chiefs, described the project as a practical response to unemployment in peri-urban communities.

“When fully operational, this initiative will provide hundreds of jobs and contribute meaningfully to local economic growth,” he said.

The Member of Parliament for Shai-Osudoku and Minister for Greater Accra Region, Mrs Linda Obenewaa Ocloo, said the market would improve access to buyers, stabilise prices, create employment and enhance food security. She commended the association for prioritising structured facilities, small-holder ranching and local poultry production.

“This initiative aligns with government efforts to modernise agriculture and support farmer-led development,” she noted.

The project also integrates tourism and transport through Show24, which promotes eco-tourism and aqua-tourism, and Connect24, which links Shai-Osudoku to North Tongu via inland waterways. Youth and women empowerment initiatives are implemented under Aspire24, while Zero Waste/Recycling24 promotes Black Soldier Fly larvae farming to convert organic waste into animal feed.

Stakeholders expressed confidence that the Volivo International Livestock Market will serve as a model for integrated agribusiness development, contributing significantly to food security, rural development and regional economic integration.

The launch ceremony attracted government officials, traditional leaders, business executives and investors from Ghana and across the West African sub-region.