Ghana: Cattle

Cattle Summary Fact Sheet

 Production

Total Cattle Population National (2016 to 2019)

• 1,815,000  (2016)
• 1,901,000 (2017)
• 1,943,000 (2018)
• 2,032,000 (2019)
• 2,109,000 (2020)

SRID, 2020

Production Cycle

• Reproductive performance begins at 2 years and ends between eight (8) to ten (10) years depending on the management system 

        Source: APD - MoFA

Suitable Time to Raise the Animal

• All Year Round 

         Source: APD - MoFA

Space Allowance (Stock Density) per Animal

• Varies Between 20 – 40 ft2

         Source: APD - MoFA

Liveweight of Animal at Slaughter (Kg)

• 200 – 400 kg  (Source: APD - MoFA)

Type(s) of Feed Used for Cattle Production

• Grass and Legumes used as pastures include panicum maximum (guinea grass) Cynodon Sp. (giant star grass) etc.
• Supplementary feeds such as agro-by-products (wheat bran, spent malt, rice straw, maize/sorghum) and concentrates are also used.
• Others - hay and silage.

Feeding Rate - Feed Intake, (g/animal/day)

• Generally, cows consume dry matter thus 2 – 3 percent of their body weight. 
• A lactating cow will consume between 18 - 25 kg of dietary dry matter each day.  

Medications/ Vaccine

Some Cattle Medication:

• Antibiotics 
• Sulphadimidine
• Dewormer
• Acaricide  
• Vitamins  

 

 Vaccinated Cattle Diseases:  

• Foot and Mouth Disease  
• Haemorrhagic Septicaemia  
• Black Quarter
• Brucellosis
• Theileriosis
• Anthrax

 

Acceptable mortality rate per production cycle

• 5%

        Source  (APD-MoFA)

Feeder Space (cm/animal)

• 45.7 to 76.2 cm  length by   91.4 - 101.6 cm width for trough per animal

 Source: APD - MoFA

 

Waterer Space (cm/animal)

• 45.7 to 76.2 cm  length by 91.4 - 101.6 cm width  for trough  per animal

Annual National Beef Production (2016 and 2019)

• 24,961 Mt (2016)
• 26,134 Mt (2017)
• 26,716 Mt (2018)
• 27,936 Mt (2019)
• 28,999 Mt (2020)

SRID, 2020

 Productivity

Potential Liveweight (Kg)

• 450 kg  (Source: APD-MoFA)

Average Achievable Weight in Ghana

• 300 kg  (Source: APD - MoFA)

Average Milk Production per Litre / Day

• 6 Litres   (Source: APD - MoFA)

 Budget Benchmarks

Costs for Establishment per Cycle 2020

• GH ¢  108,888.75 – A 5-year average production cost – For 50 cattle

 Source: APD - MoFA

Estimated Revenue per Cycle 2020

• GH ¢  292, 070.00 - A 5 - year average revenue – For 50 cattle

 Source: APD - MoFA

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General Overview of Cattle Production

Cattle is one of the livestock species predominantly kept by both local farmers and Fulani herdsmen in Ghana. They are commonly kept for meat which accounts for about 33% of all locally produced meat and to lesser extent milk and hide. Recent interventions by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and some Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) have afforded some farmers the opportunity to keep dairy animals. 

The extensive beef cattle production system is the main cattle production system practiced in the country and is based mainly on extensive grazing by smallholder herds. It is linked with a milk production system whereby milk is shared between the herdsman and the calf, with the surplus going to the market.

There are a number of cattle species in Ghana, but the dominant ones are Sanga, West African Shorthorn, White Fulani, Sokoto Gudali, N’dama and a few Friesian Sanga crosses in the peri-urban areas.  

Table 1: Cattle breeds

Breed	Utility/Type	Description
Sanga	Dual (dairy and beef)	Is a cross breed between White Fulani and West Africa Short Horn. The breed is basically a beef animal but in Ghana it is considered as a dual (both beef and milk) purpose animal. It is relatively small in body size with a short and sturdy neck. The hump is rudimentary and usually inconspicuous. It has a short and concave back with an elevated rump. Milk yield is about 2 litres per day and the live weight at maturity, averages 300kg. They constitute 76% of the cattle used for milk production in the smallholder dairy herds of the Accra Plains (Obese et al., 1999).
West African Shorthorn	Dairy	Its head and neck are both long, but the neck is thin and the forehead flat. It has short and thin horns, averaging 20.3 cm in length. These docile cows efficiently produce large volumes of nutritious milk each lactation.
Sokoto Gudali	Dual (Dairy and beef)	The Gudalis are principally found in Nigeria, Cameroon and Central African Republic, but a small population also inhabits Ghana. They are known for their hardiness to the arid northerly environments. The Sokoto Gudali cattle are considered as meat and milk animals. Mature weights for bulls averages 550 kg and cows 300 kg. Milk yield is about 4.5 litres per day.  Breeding stock can be obtained from some farmers in the Northern part of Ghana and in Nigeria
White Fulani,	Dual (Dairy and beef)	This cattle breed has great potential as dual-use (milk and beef). Average daily milk yield per cow across breeds was 2.0 litres. Average body weight of the mature bulls is about 350 to 665 kg. And the cows on average weight about 250 to 380 kg. White Fulani cattle are very hardy and strong animals. They are well adapted to long distance trekking in the pastoral management. They can survive and perform well in hot weather
N’dama	Beef	The N'Dama is a hardy breed, medium size type (100 cm at shoulder height for cows; 120 cm for bulls) with a large and strong head and with lyre-shaped horns. Cows produce only 2 to 3 liters milk per day during 7 to 8 months.Average liveweight for a mature steer varies between 250 to 300 kg.
Friesian Sanga	Dairy	The Friesian-Sanga and Sanga are two breed groups of cattle raised by the Animal Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-ARI). Ghana with the objective of evolving a dual-purpose cattle breed for use on the Accra Plains. Total milk is 305-day milk yield/day and lactation length. This is a crossbred between the Sanga and Friesian, does very well and can produce about 8-10 litres of milk/day and live weight of about 450 kg. The breeding stock can be obtained from Amrahia Dairy Farm in Gt. Accra Region and some farmers in the Accra Plains or the Northern part of Ghana.

 

In 2020, Ghana's beef output increased to 28,999 Mt (Table 2). The trend pattern remained reasonably consistent (Figure 1), with some noteworthy fluctuations in specific years. As a consequence, production has achieved its peak level and is expected to rise further in the near future. Beef output in Ghana increased noticeably, owing primarily to a rise in the number of producing animals and a noteworthy improvement in yield numbers.

Table 2: Domestic meat production 

	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
cattle	20,592	21,221	21863	22,781	23,841	24,961	26,134	26,716	27,936	28,999

SRID, 2020

Figure 1: Cattle population vs Domestic Meat Production

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Value Chain Mapping and Key Actors

Value Chain Actors and Linkages

 

Input Suppliers

These actors are involved in the supply of animals for breeding, fattening, provision of animal health services, feed etc. For the livestock commodities, there are a few large companies that import veterinary inputs. The bulk of small-scale livestock farmers in Ghana's rural areas rely on local agrovet shops for feed, vaccinations, and medications. However, availability is not always guaranteed since agrovet shops sometimes run out of stock because they must go to large cities like Accra or Kumasi to acquire supplies. Farmers are now at risk of losing their cattle as a result of this.

Producers

This group of actors are the major suppliers of beef/dairy for domestic consumption and meat/milk processing. Most of these farmers practice semi-intensive system of production and sell live animals to traders whilst others provide slaughter facilities and supply the meat directly to beef retailers and supermarkets. Producers who also sell their milk. These are herdsmen or their wives who sell their own milk at the farm/kraal or in the village, rural town or roadside. They often consume some of the milk.  

Cattle Traders

They are market agents who go round cattle farms and aggregate the animals and send to the slaughter slabs. Some of them own or rent holding centres for the animals, others sell directly to processors and retailers. Wholesalers buy milk in bulk from producers and/or rural assemblers and sell it to retailers. Assemblers sell generally to other wholesalers. No chilling is generally used. They therefore play the role of bulkers in the marketing system.

Processors

These are varied and informal. In the case of dairy, processors take farm milk, then process into quality, safe, desirable, convenient, and usable consumer products or as an ingredient for other products. For those into meat (beef) business, some have kraals for housing cattle where customers can select their cattle for processing. Some processors just do primary processing while others do secondary processing by further adding value to the meat.  

Milk Processing

Milk is historically further processed to produce high-value, condensed, conveniently transportable dairy products with lengthy shelf life. Nunu/nyarmie (spontaneously fermented yoghurt-like substance), butter, cheese, and ghee are prevalent milk products. Milk processing can also assist in dealing with seasonal fluctuations in milk production. The conversion of raw milk into processed milk and products has the potential to benefit entire communities by creating off-farm jobs in milk collecting, transportation, processing, and marketing.

Ghana Livestock Development Policy and Strategy

 

Beef and Milk Retailers (Marketers)

These actors select animals from kraals at the slaughter slabs for slaughtering and supply to restaurants, hotels and food vendors and individuals whilst others roast (kebab) and sell to individual consumers. Milk and dairy products are sold by supermarkets, smallholder retailers in market places, fuel stations and mobile vendors. Retailers present milk to the consumer in the quantities desired, and in convenient forms and locations such as supermarkets, market places, fuel stations and open-air roadside sellers.

Consumers

These are individual and institutional consumers who buy fresh milk/milk products and or fresh meat/processed meat from butchers and supermarkets for consumption. Consumers may also get their animal supplies directly from the producers or live animal markets.

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Key Husbandry Practices and Their Importance

Key Agronomic Practices

Key Husbandry Practice	Brief Description and Importance
Selection of breeding stock	Breeding stock ratio is 1 Bull – 25 Cows Cows: Should have the following body characteristics: Well-developed udder and teats, Large hind quarters, Docile with good mothering ability, Good body conformation. Bulls: Should have the following body characteristics;  Well developed 2 testes of equal size Very strong hind legs Very active and not shy (neither allow any bull to cross a cow nor cross itself) Well built with good body conformation.
Land Acquisition	Factors to consider in selecting a site for cattle production include the following: Distance to neighbouring residences – 1-2 km. Nearness to a regular water source. The land should have a slope of about 2 to 5 percent (gradient) for good drainage. Soil type should be sandy loam. Should be easily accessible.
Housing and equipment	Basic requirements for a standard housing: Positioning of the housing should be oriented length wise in the East to West direction (ie. against the direction of the sun rise and set) to allow for good shade, ventilation and air circulation within the house. Provide dip for control of ecto-parasites. Provide foot-baths and changing rooms for workers and visitors. (Bio-security) Provide different sections/compartments within the structure (to house the breeding stock, growing animals and sick animals separately). The house must be structured in a form that movement of humans as well as animals is from the section of young animals to older ones and not the other way round. The house must be well secured to prevent undesirable elements such as vectors (pests, rodents and insects) and robbers from entering. Floor should neither be smooth nor very rough to harbour pathogens or hamper cleaning. Floor must slope towards the drainage outlet of the pen for easy flow of liquid substances. Facilities required in a Standard Housing: Delivery area (calving ) Nursing area (Cow/Dam and calve/young one) Weaner/Grower/Fattener area Bull/Sire area (bulls) Dam area (dry/breeding cow) Isolation pen Water and feed troughs Store house
Construction of Cattle housing (Kraal)	Suitable materials for construction of Cattle housing (Kraal) Blocks (concrete/lancrete/sancrete) Cement Sand and stones Welded mesh Roofing sheet Iron rods Wood
Space Requirement	Table 1. Space requirement
	Class, Age and Size of Animal	Barn/Shed/Kraal
		Floor Area per Animal	Height of Wall	Height of Ceiling  (from ground)
	Cows or Steer, 2 years or over	40 - 50 ft2 (3.7 - 4.6 m2)	4 ft (1.2 m)	8 - 10 ft (2.4 - 3.0 m)
	Yearlings	30 - 40 ft2 (0.8 - 3.7 m2)	4 ft (1.2 m)	8 - 10 ft (2.4 - 3.0 m)
	Calves,  150 to 200	20 - 30 ft2 (1.9 - 2.8 m2)	4 ft (1.2 m)	8 - 10 ft (2.4 - 3.0 m)
	Cows in maternity stall	100 - 150 ft2 (9.3 - 14 m2)	4 ft (1.2 m)	8 - 10 ft (2.4 - 3.0 m)
	Head Bulls	100 - 150 ft2 (9.3 - 14 m2)	4 ft (1.2 m)	8 - 10 ft (2.4 - 3.0 m)
Feed and Feeding Regime bale of Hay Source: www.irri.org Elephant Grass Source: www.feedipedia.org	Type of Feed: Pasture/fodder, Agro by products, Concentrate.   Pasture A good pasture id made up of Grasses and Legumes Example of Grasses Panicum maximum (guinea grass) Penisetum pepurium (elephant grass), Cynodon nlemfuensis (giant star grass) Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass) Brachiaria decumbens (signal grass) Example of Legumes: Leucaena leucocephala (Ipi-Ipil) Centrosema pubescence (centro) Dolichos lablab (lalab beans) Gliricidia sepium (quickstick) Stylosanthes hamate (stylo) These pasture species can be planted as pure stand or mixture (grass x legume) and harvested/cut for animals under intensive rearing of grazed directly by animals under semi intensive system.   Agro by products: Wheat bran Spent malt Rice straw Maize/sorghum stover Groundnut/cowpea vines Cassava peels   Concentrate: Calve starter concentrate is made up of the following ingredients: Sorghum – 35 kg Cotton seed – 5 kg Wheat bran – 30 kg Maize – 10 kg Groundnut cake – 20 kg
	Table 2. Feeding schedule for calves up to 6 months
	Age of calf	Approx. body weight (kg)	Quantity of milk (kg)	Quantity of calf starter (g)
	4 days to 4 weeks	25	2.5	Small qty.
	4 - 6 weeks	30	3.0	50 - 100
	6 - 8 weeks	35	2.5	100 - 250
	8 - 10 weeks	40	2.0	250 - 350
	10 - 12 weeks	45	1.5	350 - 500
	12 - 16 weeks	55	-	500 - 750
	16 - 20 weeks	65	-	750 - 1,000
	20 - 24 weeks	75	-	1,000 - 1,500
	Concentrate mixture for 6 months onwards: Copra cake – 30 kg Cotton seed cake – 10 kg Rice bran – 30 kg Yellow maize 27 kg Mineral mixture – 2 kg Salt – 1 kg
	Table 3. Concentrate mixture for 6 months and above
	Age (months)	Approx. Body Wt. (kg)	Concentrate mixture (kg)	Grass (kg)
	6 - 9	70 - 100	1.5 -1.75	5 - 10
	9 - 15	100 - 150	1.75 – 2.25	10 – 15
	15 - 20	150 - 200	2.25 - 2.50	15 – 20
	Above 20	200 - 300	2.50 – 2.75	15 – 20
	Bulls	400 - 500	2.5 – 3	20 – 25
	The total dry matter requirement of cattle is around 2-3 % of their body weight It is recommended to give minerals block or urea molasses block always when animals are fed on only fodder. Hay refers to a grass that is cut and dried to use as animal fodder. Feeding hay is a fact of life in cattle production. It is usually fed as a supplement for cattle in dry seasons when feed is scarce in Ghana. Hay such as rice straw can be treated with urea at a rate of 1kg urea to 10 litres of water applied to 20 kg of straw.
Health Management/ Medication/ vaccination Regime	Improved health management requires regular cleaning of kraals and vaccination of the animals against scheduled diseases such as Foot & mouth, Anthrax, Brucellosis, Lumpy skin and Rinderpest.  Some cattle medication:: Antibiotics, Sulphadimidine, Dewormer, Acaricide , Vitamins  etc Vaccination Schedule for Cattle
	SN	Disease	Age	When to vaccinate
	1	Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD)	4 months and above	Every six months
	2	Haemorrhagic Septicaemia (HS)	4 months and above	Biannually in endemic areas
	3	Black Quarter (BQ)	4 months and above	Annually in endemic areas
	4	Brucellosis	4 -8 months of age (only in female calves)	Once in a lifetime
	5	Theileriosis	4 months and above	Once in a lifetime.
	6	Anthrax	4 months and above	Annually in endemic areas
Mating/servicing	Mating takes place when the cow is on heat every 21 days. Heat last for 3 days   Sign of heat:   The female mounts other cows It allows others in the flock to mount it. It becomes restless and Its vulva becomes red
Preparation for market/slaughter eg fattening	Cattle reach maturity (200 -300kg) within 2 years.     Fattening involves the feeding of beef cattle with a protein balanced, high energy diet for specific period, usually 90 days, under confinement to increase weight and improve animal health to obtain better quality of beef. Some farmers prefer to fatten only bulls while others may choose to fatten both sexes.
Record Keeping	Records keep track of a herd’s performance, health, daily management, and ancestry. There are different types of records that can be used to monitor your farm operation. A good record keeping system can assist you in making informed business and management decisions. Records of expenses and receipts are important and can help in determining the productivity and profitability of your herd. The records must be accurate and include financial and production information. A record keeping system will not only guarantee your business success, but without them you are almost certain to fail. Source: APD-MoFA, 2014
Other husbandry practices	Castrate males at 3 – 6 months Trim hoof when required Dehorn/disbud at 1-2 months old Clean kraals and pens daily Dip/spray against ecto-parasites frequently in the wet season. Deworm young animals regularly

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Key Risks Along The Value Chain and Mitigation Measures

Key Risks Along the Value Chain and Mitigation Measures

Value Chain Actions	Key Risks and Challenges	Mitigation Measures
Input Supply	Inadequate quality breeding stock	Resource MoFA Cattle breeding stations to produce more breeding stock. Encourage private sector to set up breeder farms. Encourage the use of Artificial Insemination.
	Limited access to prepared feed (concentrate)	Provide required feed formula for Feed Millers.  Train farmers on the use of cattle feed (concentrate) Facilitate development of entrepreneurs in input sector
	Limited access to Veterinary drugs and services	Private Veterinary services clinics and laboratories should be encouraged License Veterinary technicians to operate drug shops in various communities Farmers could form cooperatives to buy inputs in bulk to store for regular supply to members.
Finance	Inadequate capital	Provide easy access to finance to farmers for purchase of inputs and other related services.  Encourage farmers to use Equity  capital instead of credit.
Production	Inadequate access to production and dairy technologies.	Dissemination of production technologies through electronic means
	Inadequate grazing land and unavailability of pastures during dry season	Train farmers on conservation, preservation and utilization of agro-by-products for dry season feeding. Establish fodder banks with leguminous trees such as Gliricidia, Leucaena etc. for dry season feeding.
	Low productivity (milk and beef)	Introduce and facilitate adoption of high yielding crossbred cattle for both milk and beef production.
	High diseases incidence.	Train farmers on good animal husbandry practices/ health management and ensure strict adherence to biosecurity measures. Encourage and support research in the use of ethno veterinary medicines.
Marketing	Poor access to market information and transportation.	Promote market information through MoFA E-agriculture and other electronic media sources.
	Consumers not willing to pay for quality beef and dairy milk	Create awareness among customer on safe and  quality beef and dairy milk.
	Inadequate hygienic milk and beef retail points.	Develop hygienic retail shops for milk and beef  Promote investment into dairy milk, meat processing and packaging.
	Lack of appropriate transport facilities for carting live animals and meat/milk.	Encourage transporters to invest in appropriate  transport   facilities for carting live animals, beef and fresh milk.
	Limited enforcement of standard prizing system for live animals and fresh milk.	Encourage selling of live animals and fresh milk by weight.
Processing	Outdate technology at Abattoirs	Re-tool and modernized Abattoirs
	Inadequate number of abattoirs.	Provide financial incentives for entrepreneurs to set-up abattoirs.
Consumption	Low quality meat and dairy milk	Sensitize consumers on meat and dairy milk safety.  Ensure supply of quality dairy milk and beef by enforcing meat and milk quality standards.  Promotion of consumerism.
	High price of meat	Promote the use of less expensive feed to reduce production cost.
	Sophisticated consumer taste	Train farmers and processors on consumer preference

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Pests, Diseases, Symptoms and Control Measures

Major Diseases of Cattle and their Management

Diseases	Symptoms	Control and Management
Foot and Mouth Disease	Vesicles occur on the teat and mammary gland and in the rumen Vesicle formation on the tongue, in the mouth and on the feet, particularly at the margin of the hoof. Degenerative changes occur in muscle, and extensive involvement of the cardiac muscle can result in death	Control in areas suffering sporadic infection is best achieved by slaughter, destruction of infected carcases and disinfection. Where the disease is endemic, vaccination campaigns reduce the incidence and, in the absence of re-importation of virus, can lead to eradication
Rinderpest	Necrotic lesions in the mouth and gastrointestinal tract and destruction of lymphocytes	Systematic vaccination with tissue culture propagated virus.
Lumpy Skin Disease	Fever, the development of multiple, painful skin nodules and lymphadenitis As lesions progress the center of the cutaneous lesions becomes hard, necrotic, and difficult to remove	Administration of sulfonamides to prevent the secondary infection Good nursing care are recommended Vaccination with attenuated virus offers the most promising method of control. Euthanasia may be necessary sometimes
Bovine Viral Diarrhea (BVD)	Diarrhea, necrosis, and erosions of the alimentary tract.	Control is based on use of modified live virus vaccines
Brucellosis	Fever Bone and joint pain Paralysis Testicular swelling	Control is by Vaccinal immunity by use of attenuated living strain 19 or by the rough killed strain 45120.  For the tropics, control to reduce prevalence by large-scale application of whole herd vaccination, with or without serological testing is advocated as the most cost-effective programme.
Anthrax Disease	Infection usually gives rise to either rapid death (peracute anthrax) Extreme dullness, high fever, widespread hemorrhages, dysentery and usually death within 48 hours.	Prompt diagnosis, prevention of contamination, preferably by the deep burial of unopened carcases and disinfection of the immediate environment. Carry out annual vaccination.
Heartwater (cowdriosis) (Tick- borne non-infectious bacteria disease)	It is transmitted by Ticks. Nervous, intestinal, and pulmonary disorders, caused by the rickettsia Cowdria ruminantium	Acaricidal control of the vectors (tick) must be frequent and efficient if heartwater transmission is to be prevented.

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Market Information of Cattle

Market Information

At the village level, live cattle are sold to middlemen who transport them, especially from the regions up north of the country to secondary markets in urban areas. From these secondary markets, animals are then moved in larger trucks to terminal markets in the major cities such as Kumasi, Accra and Tema. This system follows well defined but casual rules and practices. In most cases, middlemen act as price brokers between traders and butchers.

Cattle Market

Source-www.irri.org

Price Trends

 Regional prices of per kilo beef

SN	REGION	PRICE/KILO OF BEEF (GH ¢)	PRICE/LITRE OF MILK (GH ¢)
1	Ashanti	28.00	6.00
2	Greater Accra	26.00	7.00
3	Bono	24.00	4.00
4	Ahafo	24.00	4.00
5	Bono East	24.00	4.00
6	Central	26.00	4.00
7	Eastern	26.00	4.00
8	North East	20.00	3.00
9	Northern	20.00	3.00
10	Savanna	20.00	3.00
11	Oti	24.00	4.00
12	Volta	24.00	4.00
13	Upper East	18.00	3.00
14	Upper West	18.00	3.00
15	Western North	24.00	4.00
16	Western	24.00	4.00
17	Average Price	23.13	4.00

Source- Animal Production Directorate/MoFA.

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Enterprise Budget for Cattle Production

Enterprise Budget for Cattle Production

 

Cattle Production Budget

Cattle (milk &beef) Production Budget		Production Year ONE
Fixed assets	Quantity	Unit Price (GH ¢)	Total Amount (GH¢ )
Construction of kraal and paddocks	1	35,000.00	35,000.00
Borehole & Polytank	1	12,000.00	12,000.00
Working tools and equipment (Wheel barrow, stainless steel, shovel, pick axe) - 2 each	1	2,000.00	2,000.00
Milking facilities and equipment	1	10,000.00	10.000.00
Tricycle/Motorking	1	12,000.00	12,000.00
SUB TOTAL (A)			71,000.00
Variable cost
Breeding Stock (25 heifers and 2 bulls @ 1,500 GH¢ each)	27	1,500.00	40,500.00
Cattle (>1 year old) for fattening @120kg	25	1,000.00	25,000.00
Pasture development (grass, legume etc) - 5 kg of stylo seed for 1 hectare of land (4 hectares)	4	1,500.00	6,000.00
Crop Residue & Harvested Forage	24	100.00	2,400.00
Grain/Protein Supplements	200	180.00	36,000.00
Mineral	12	50.00	600.00
SUB TOTAL (B)			110,500.00
Overhead cost
Labor (2 people)	24	400.00	9,600.00
Vet Medicine/Drugs & services	12	300.00	3,600.00
Utilities, Fuel etc	12	200.00	2,400.00
Pasture maintenance	1	1,000.00	1,000.00
Machinery maintenance	5	100.00	500.00
SUB TOTAL (¢)			17,100.00
GRAND TOTAL (A+B+C)			198,600.00

 Herd dynamics 

Year	BS/F	BS/M	Reproductive rate 80%	No. Calving/yr.	Mortality rate =5%	Weaned	Calves bought for fattening (150 Kg)	Total number of calves for fattening @ 250kg	Total number of cows for milking
0	25	2	20	1	19	0	25	25	20
1	25	2	20	1	19	18	25	25	20
2	25	2	20	1	19	18	25	43	20
3	25	2	20	1	19	18	25	43	20
4	25	2	20	1	19	18	25	43	20

 Cash out-flow

Cash out-flow
Year	Housing/Kraal	Borehole& Tank	Working tools & equipment (including those for dairy)	Tricycle	Breeding Stock (25 heifers and 2 bulls)	Calves for fattening (5% price increment every 2yrs)	Pasture development	Overhead cost (labour, maintenance & utility cost)	Feed (harvested forage, crop residue, grain/protein supp. & minerals)	Medication & Vet. Services	TOTAL (GH¢ )
0	35,000	12,000	1 2,000	12,000	40,500	25,000	6,000	13,500	39,000	3,600	198,600
1	0	0	0	0	0	25,000		13,500	39,000	3,600	81,100
2	0	0	0	0	0	26,250		15,175	40,950	4,000	86,375
3	0	0	0	0	0	26,250		15,175	40,950	4,000	86,375
4	0	0	0	0	0	27,562.5		16,933.75	42,997.5	4,500	91,993.75

 Cash in-flow

	Fattening			Milk production
Year	No. of animals fattened (@ 250 Kg)	Unit price per kg (GH¢ )	Total (GH¢ )	Milk produced per year (litres) from 25 cows.	Price per litre (10% increment every year)	Total (GH¢ )	Grand Total (GH¢ )
0	25	15	93,750.00	0	6.00	0	93,750.00
1	25	17	106,250.00	17,150.00	7.00	120,050.00	226,300.00
2	43	19	204,250.00	17,150.00	8.00	137,200.00	341,450.00
3	43	21	225,750.00	17,150.00	9.00	154,350.00	380,100.00
4	43	23	247,250.00	17,150.00	10.00	171,500.00	418,750.00

Profit/Loss analysis

Account	Period
	Year 0	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4
Revenue (GH)¢	93,750.00	226,300.00	341,450.00	380,100.00	418,750.00
Fixed Assets Depreciation @ 20% flat (GH¢)	14,200.00	14,200.00	14,200.00	14,200.00	14,200.00
Variable & overhead cost (GH¢)	127,600.00	81,100.00	86,375.00	86,375.00	91,993.75
Profit before tax (GH¢)	(48,050)	145,200.00	255,075.00	293,725.00	326,756.25

 

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Key Policies and Programmes

Credit Policies

The Government of Ghana has a dedicated bank, the Agricultural Development Bank mandated to take care of agricultural financing and has recently set aside an amount of GH¢ 500,000,000.00 for promotion of livestock in the country at a concessionary rate.

Tariffs

Tariffs on imported meat are set to raise revenue and competitiveness of the indigenous livestock industry. The level of tariffs on imported meat and meat products is 20 percent of Cost, Insurance and Freight (CIF) of the import. Other taxes and levies are:  

• Value Added Tax (VAT): 12.5 per cent
• National Health Insurance Levy: 2.5 percent (collected by the VAT Secretariat)
• Export Development and Investment Fund Levy: 0.5 percent
• Inspection Fee: 1 percent
• ECOWAS Levy: 0.5 percent
• Ghana Customs Network: 0.4 percent of CIF.

Tax Holidays

Cattle production/ranching enterprise enjoys 10 years tax holidays in Ghana .

 

The Government of Ghana Policy

Measures and regulations aimed at the development of the livestock industry are based on a set of strategies specified in the Livestock Development Policy. These strategies target the different categories of actors in the livestock sub - sector, and address issues of breed improvement, production and health management, processing, and marketing. Some of the key strategies being implemented are:  

(i) Focus on improving animal health.

(ii)  Improve access to quality feed and water

(iii) Enhance the performance of indigenous breeds through a programme of selection and Artificial Insemination (AI)

(iv)  Develop commercial poultry as the priority for improving meat supply in the short term, while measures are implemented to transform smallholder production into profitable enterprises and  

(v) Improve access of operators to technology and appropriate financial instruments to enhance their competitiveness with imports. 

 

International Trade Policies  

Given the current policy of trade liberalization, trade policy will be used to promote the international competitiveness of domestic enterprises. The specific policy objectives are to:

(i) Improve export Competitiveness

(ii) Diversify and increase exports and markets and 

(iii) Accelerate economic integration with other regional and/or sub-regional states.  

 

Current Project in the Livestock Sub-sector  

The Government of Ghana has designed a 5-year strategic programme intervention: “Rearing for Food and Jobs (RFJ)” which is one of the 5 modules of the Planting for Food and Jobs (PFJ).  

The objective is to develop a competitive and more efficient livestock industry that increases domestic production, reduces importation of livestock products, and contributes to employment generation and to the improvement of livelihoods of livestock value chain actors and the national economy.  

The RFJ focuses on five key livestock species consisting: dairy cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry.  

Under RFJ cattle production is to receive a boost through Artificial Insemination. The semen of proven exotic beef and dairy cattle would be used to improve the local breeds of cattle in Ghana.

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Equipment and Tools

Weighing Scale

Concrete Feeding Trough 

 

Fabricated Watering Trough 

Source: www.m.livestocktool.com

Burdizzo 

Mechanized Drinking Trough      

Metallic Feeding Trough 

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Agriculture in Africa Media LBG|  Email: Ghana@agricinafrica.com