Abstract:
The study was undertaken in the Assin South District and Cape Coast Metropolis, both located in the Central Region of Ghana. The aim was to evaluate the practices of livestock production and meat consumption in these areas. The research used a descriptive survey design, involving 77 livestock farmers and 202 meat consumers selected purposively to respond to questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using the descriptive statistical tool of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 23, and the results were presented in frequency tables. The findings indicated that chicken was the most prevalent livestock species kept in the study areas, with the majority of livestock producers mainly focusing on poultry production. Livestock farmers in these areas primarily utilized intensive and semi-intensive housing systems for their animals. They reported experiencing multiple disease outbreaks annually, with Newcastle disease being the most common. In terms of consumption practices, beef was the preferred meat among consumers in the study areas. Additionally, the price of meat was identified as the primary factor influencing consumers' meat purchasing decisions. However, it was worrying to find out that animals known to be sick were sometimes slaughtered by some farmers as well as animals which were on treatment. There were instances where dead carcasses were dressed and sold for human consumption. As a result, it was recommended that the government, specifically the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, provide training programmes and workshops for farmers aimed at disease prevention, early disease detection and management practices. Furthermore, efforts should be made to educate consumers on the importance of avoiding the consumption of meat from animals that do not respond to treatment or those that died naturally.
