Livestock inventory of small-scale farms in Ghana

Bc. Jan Roubal

Diplomová práce

Abstract:

This Master´s thesis focused on small-scale livestock farmers in Ga East district in Greater Accra Region in Ghana. Main aim was to determine livestock and mini-livestock species and breeds diversity as well as to evaluate the structure and management practises on the farms. Ten communities were selected from this area for the research using snowball sampling technique. Semi-structured questionnaires were administered to 30 farmers. Descriptive statistics (means and percentages) was used to summarize the data obtained. The results indicate that small-scale livestock farmers in Ga East are predominantly men (93, 3 %) with various levels of education. Animals reared on farms were poultry, pigs, cattle, sheep, goats, greater cane rats, rabbits, fish and snails. In total 13 livestock species and 27 breeds. About 85 % of interviewed pig farmers bred imported breeds such as Large White and Landrace, indicating decreasing population of local Ashanti Black bread. High prices of feeds and its unavailability throughout the year with poor husbandry practises were identified to lead to general low productivity and efficiency of livestock farmers. A holistic approach to management practises like for example own production of animal feedstuff on the farms and improvement of overall functioning of farmer as a businessman is needed in order to increase general low productivity of this sector.

Keywords

management practises, indigenous species, productivity, mini-livestock, West Africa, snails

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 26. 4. 2019

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: Ing. Magdalena Miřejovská, Ph.D.

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta tropického zemědělství

Magisterský studijní program / obor:
Tropické zemědělství / Wildlife Management in Tropics and Subtropics