Livestock ownership and poverty reduction in Northern Ghana

Abstract

This study determined the effect of livestock ownership on household poverty in Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions of Ghana. Specifically, the study determined the effects of medium-sized and large-sized ownership of livestock on household poverty and examined the effect of type of livestock (cattle, sheep and poultry) ownership on household poverty together with the joint effect between size and type of livestock ownership on household poverty. Employing the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) estimation technique, the study found that medium-sized and large-sized livestock ownership reduces household poverty through improvement in consumption expenditures. Results on types of livestock owned revealed that livestock such as cattle and poultry significantly reduce household’s poverty. As to the joint effect, the study revealed that owning large-sized livestock (being cattle) more significantly reduces household poverty than owning large-sized livestock other than cattle. Moreover, owning medium-sized livestock (being sheep) likewise more significantly reduces household poverty level than owning medium-sized livestock other than sheep. It is therefore recommended that all poor households, especially households in the Upper West Region focus on cattle and poultry rearing in an attempt to reduce their poverty levels. Also, poor households in Upper East and Northern Regions should focus on the production of cattle and sheep respectively.