Agony Of Ghanaian Livestock Dealers

Story By Felix Dela Klutse

There is no doubt that the livestock market is a major player in boosting agricultural development in Ghana but in recent times, the trade has suffered due to the high cost of transportation and non-patronage.

Animal sellers at the Kaneshie cow market in Accra spoke out after a long season in distress that resulted to a total decline in the sale of their stock, thereby throwing them into abject poverty.

BUSINESS GUIDE gathered that business activities have suffered because of non patronage. The traders are seen sitting idle in anticipation of buyers and even on arrival, the high price tag on the animals scare them away which has been worrisome to their business.

With the vast economic potentials and natural resources that the country is endowed with, animal dealers travel as far as to neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad, among others to buy animals. The dealers seldom buy from within towns because better animal breeds are found in the neighbouring countries.

In Ghana for example, what are obtained are the local breeds which are usually small in nature and of low quality compared to the ones imported.
Poverty, economic hardship coupled with high inflation has discouraged people considerably from patronizing the animal markets hence, the level of patronage is low.

Due to the situation, many dealers have been forced out of business for the fact that they cannot withstand the enormous challenge that has bedevilled livestock trade in the country.

Ibrahim Muntari noted that the business is very vital to the economy but government does not assist them by providing capital and due to the deteriorating state of the animal trade, a person who invests for instance GH¢20,000 may end up losing a high fraction of his capital.

“This is as a result of the huge cost at which we purchase the animals and the high transportation cost we normally battle with,” he stated.

Currently, a cow costs GH¢2,000 and the cost of transporting one cow from the North to Accra has increased from GH¢15 in April to GH¢30, Muntari added.
Muntari explained that the livestock business is a large employer of labour because of the high level of division of labour between various chains, ranging from the dealers to the butchers and finally to the meat sellers.

He said that due to the setback, many people have pulled out and vacated their stalls thereby triggering a pool of unemployed “army” of redundant people, who wait helplessly for God’s intervention.

He explained that lack of assistance from government has done more harm than good to this trade, which is very significant towards sustaining agricultural revolution in Ghana.

He challenged the government to proffer a lasting solution to livestock production so as to boost animal production, pointing that basic assistance in areas such as soft loans and huge investments should be in place to maintain a flourishing market in the country.

Another livestock dealer who gave his name as Saliu noted that the dealers mostly take loans to buy the animals and people seldom buy them with cash but rather collect on credit and it takes about seven to ten days to payback adding that the dealers encounter difficulties in transporting the livestock’s because they usually go to rural and remote communities to convey them.

According to him, the sellers are often exposed to disasters such as accidents, loss of lives and properties due to the dilapidated condition of the road networks in the country.

A cow seller, Mohammed Auwal Idris, lamented the low sales recorded in the market.
He maintained that the rise in food prices has impacted on the feeds of the animals thereby increasing the price of animals.

He explained that the market is not favourable as they are not often patronised due to persistent complains by people of economic hardship and the lack of money at their disposal.

However, Idris noted that the animal market is a seasonal market, because the market booms only during festive seasons leaving them in a difficult situation afterwards.
Another trader, Umar Mohammed, lamented that the sales are not comparable to sales recorded some years back.
“Even on market days, we suffer lack of patronage. Formerly, one can buy a cow on credit and pay the owner back after selling it but now the situation has changed. You got to pay in cash,” he cried.

E-mail:felixklutse@yahoo.com
Mobile: 0243226596