Local herders have reported a noticeable decline in cattle production levels due to unexplained illness.
This alarming development comes as demand for livestock is expected to peak during the Christmas festive period.
The President of the Ghana Herdsmen Association, Yakubu Mohammed, made this revelation during a stakeholder consultation on ‘One health for the Fulbe/Fulani community’ in Asante Mampong, on Thursday, October 31, organised in collaboration with the School of Veterinary, KNUST and the University of Ghana.
Yakubu, argued that the chemicals used on crops and grasses are the major contaminants of the cattle’s primary food source.
“There is a vast difference in how we rear our cattle now and previously. Previously, we could easily access the grazing fields, and our animals were able to graze freely. But it is no longer the case. Even now, chemicals are used on the grazing fields, and this is dangerous to our animals. They pick all kinds of sickness when they graze at such places.
“Sometimes, our animals die after grazing at these places. Some diseases affect our cattle, and we lose our animals, and the numbers continue to reduce. It is a very big issue and a threat to the cattle business,” he said.
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By: Bright Yeboah
