1. Introduction
During the past half century, animal production has in- creased in developing countries [1] and transport of ani- mals for slaughter and breeding is increasing due to the global marketing system and structural adjustments [2]. Pre-transport conditioning, time in transit, distance trav- elled, environmental conditions, and lairage at the slaugh- terhouse are all components of transportation that may negatively affect stress levels and diminish the economic value of the animals and the meat products [3].
There are growing concerns, about the welfare of live- stock during transport and handling. Vehicle design, stocking density on vehicles, journey duration, time of feeding, mortality and weather conditions, among others are factors that affect slaughter animals’ welfare [4]. According to Gebresenbet [5], animal welfare during transport could be improved by these two strategic alternatives: 1) minimising stress inducing factors through improving animal logistics system and handling methods (improve handling, facilities for loading and unloading, driving performance, optimised activities at the abattoir); 2) minimising or avoiding transport, by encouraging small-scale local abattoir or developing a mobile or semimobile abattoir. The logistics chain of an abattoir may comprise activities from loading of animals at farms, transport from farm to abattoir, unloading of animals at the abattoir, and operations in the slaughter chain from the lairage box to cooling rooms for carcasses [6].
The abattoir system in the developed world is quite different from that in the developing world. While the abattoir system in the developed world provides services that are geared towards meat quality, most of the abattoir systems in the developing countries, including Kumasi abattoir in Ghana, provide services for butchers focusing on the quantity of meat required, without due consideration of meat safety and quality. Cattle destined for slaughter at the Kumasi Abattoir are transported from Farms within Ghana and from neighboring countries. The move- ment of the animals from the farm or cattle market to the abattoir premises when animals are led to the lairage and subsequently into the abattoir. This process is a spectacle to behold; and cruel handling of animals to the highest degree is common in the slaughter animal supply chain. There is insufficient information on animal handling and related animal welfare problems that can be used as basis to develop animal welfare policies in Ghana, in relation to animal transport and abattoir logistics services.
The main objective of this study was to study the characteristics of animal supply to the Kumasi Abattoir and activities in slaughter chain in the abattoir. The specific objectives were to:
1) Identify the main source of slaughter animals and main stakeholders involved in animal supply chain;
2) Map out the activities in the animal transport and abattoir logistics chains;
3) Investigate the meat distribution from the abattoir to butcheries in Kumasi city.
It was intended to prepare valuable scientific information that could be used as basis for further studies of animal transport and its impact on animal welfare, meat safety and quality as well as economic issues in Ghana and other developing countries.
This paper is structured as follows. In Section 2, the methodology is described. In Section 3, results are presented while discussion of the findings has been presented in Section 4. In Section 5 conclusion is presented
2. Methodology
2.1. Study Area
Based on some initial observations regarding inhumane animal treatment during transport to Kumasi abattoir, this study was conducted in Ghana. Kumasi abattoir is one of abattoirs in developing countries to which animals are supplied from farms within and outside a country after a long journey. Cattle destined for slaughter at the Kumasi Abattoir are transported from different regions within Ghana such as Yeji in Brong Ahafo and the northern regions of Ghana and from neighboring countries like Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger (see Figure 1).
The Kumasi Abattoir is located at 6°39'36.6"N Latitude and 1°36'15.4"W Longitude, in the Kumasi city of Ghana. The butchers where the meat from the Kumasi abattoir is distributed are located within the Kumasi city (see Figure 1).
2.2. Kumasi Abattoir and Slaughter Animals
The Kumasi Abattoir Company Limited was established in 1997 with grants from the Government of Ghana and the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and commenced its operations in 1998. There is a cattle market at the abattoir premises about 150 m away from the abattoir. At the cattle market, there are kraals which are used to house the animals while they are being sold. There is also a holding pen for the cattle which are destined for slaughter. The holding pen which is about 10 m away from the slaughterhouse is used to keep cattle overnight until the next morning when they are slaughtered. There is a lairage which is supposed to be used for resting of animals for sometime before slaughter. There is a defunct waste treatment plant and an abandoned fish pond about 100 m away from the slaughterhouse.
Although, the Kumasi abattoir slaughters animals like cattle, pigs, sheep and goats for processing and packaging for the targeted Ghanaian markets, the slaughter animals considered in this study were only cattle. The original daily slaughtering capacity of the Abattoir was 200 cattle, 100 pigs, and 250 sheep and goats. In addition to this, the production facility of the abattoir has been re- designed to enable the Company slaughter up to 400 cattle daily. This was achieved by converting one of the slaughter lines meant for the slaughter of sheep and goats into another cattle line and developing a singeing platform.
2.3. Data Collection
In this study, data was collected via interviews, field measurements and observations of activities during animal transport and slaughter operations. For better planning of field work and proper design of questionnaires, preceding exploratory visits and interviews with key people at the abattoir were made. Data on the sources of slaughter animals, transport distance, means of transport, animal handling condition during transport, locations of butcheries, means of transporting meat and problems (related to management of animal supply and slaughter chains in the abattoir) were gathered.
2.3.1. Interview with Stakeholders
The major stakeholders identified in this animal supply chain include farmers, merchants (who go and buy cattle from the origin and transport them to the Kumasi Cattle Market), landlords (who are responsible for receiving and selling of cattle at Kumasi cattle market), butchers (owners of meat shops), and cowboys (cattle handlers). Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 50 merchants, 32 landlords and 43 butchers. The merchants were interviewed to find out, the number and the origin of the cattle and the effect of transport on the animal welfare during the long journey from the animal farm to the Kumasi Cattle Market. The landlords were inter- viewed to find out the health condition of animals before they were bought and their main problems within the supply chain. The butchers were interviewed to find out about their operations and the problems they encountered in the process of buying animals; getting slaughter service and selling meat.
2.3.2. Field Measurements and Observation
Field measurements were carried out to gather data on the non-ambulatory cattle and to register (using a hand- held Geographical Positioning System) the geographic coordinates of the locations of the recognized butcheries in the Kumasi city. The coordinates (including the coordinates of Kumasi abattoir) were later used to indicate the locations of recognized meat shops on map in relation to the location of Kumasi abattoir, using ArcView 3.2. Non-ambulatory animals were counted for one week. The ratio of the total number of non-ambulatory animals to the total number of animals moved from the cattle market into the abattoir for slaughter was determined and expressed as a percentage. The activities in the abattoir were also observed and registered.