4.2. Management Problems in Animal Supply Chain of Kumasi Abattoir
Pertaining to the problems encountered by the merchants in their work, all of them mentioned that unnecessary delays by security personnel at security check points, exorbitant charges by veterinary/quarantine officials for certifying animals as healthy or not, and financial constraints were major problems. Robbery and fluctuations in the cedi rates to other currencies and poor road net- works from Mali, Burkina Faso and Cote D’Ivoire were also mentioned as problems.
Among the problems encountered in the work of the landlords included financial aid, quick repayment of cost of animals bought on credit by butchers, regular supply of animals, relocation of the cattle market to places where there is abundant forage for animals to graze, maintenance of kraals at the cattle market, poor or in- sanitary conditions at the cattle market.
Some of the problems butchers encountered in their work, were financially constraints, indiscipline inside the abattoir, exorbitant extra charges aside cost of animals by landlords, patronage of foreign meat by consumers leading to poor daily sales, disunity among some butchers and landlords, and lack of capable official mouthpiece to articulate butchers’ grievances despite the various asso-ciations they belonged to.
The loading and unloading procedures observed in this study were very poor and should be improved since such activities deteriorate the welfare of animals and reduce the economic benefits [13,14]. The drivers and animal handlers should be trained and the awareness of the stakeholders in this animal supply chain should be increased. A well educated handler can often move animals through novel situations efficiently as cattle have ability to learn quickly how to move through facilities and cope with changing environments when managed by competent handlers [15