On the other, the huge diaspora of ghanaians overseas longing for a taste of home could also prove lucrative. Proceedings of workshop on promoting grasscutter production for poverty reduction in ghana, editors. Organized formal grasscutter production, however, was started in the brong ahafo. If you want to focus on meat and egg production choose broilers and layers respectively. How to start grasscutter farming in nigeria with free. I will dive deeper into how to choose a location for your poultry farm in the next chapters. Once his message was translated into ghanas more than 250 languages and dialects, however, it. Agromisa volunteer marg leijdens must be mentioned for her advice on marketing and valuable editiorial contributions. The colony sizes were relatively small, ranging between 1 and 96, with nearly a 100% farmer dropout rate.
An average grasscutter weighing between 610 kg could cost between n 7,000 n15,000. Male grasscutter on average reach a size up to 2times larger than chicken meat. Grasscutter farming is gaining popularity in africa for good reasons. The food grasscutters eat can be found around your environment. Pdf grasscutter thryonomys swinderianus production in. Grasscutter production in ghana was started by asibey and also the game and. Rearing grasscutter is a profitable venture and good money can be made from it. Some basic facts about grasscutter with regards to reproduction are as follows. The use of farm information systems among grasscutter farmers in. Factors affecting the adoption of grasscutter thryonomys swinderianus farming in sunyani municipality, brong ahafo region, ghana benjamin tetteh anang1. This sample grass cutter farming business plan in nigeria can be used for grant applications, bank loans, proposal writing, business concept note, competitions etc. Incentive for the production of this booklet came from frequent requests for an agrodok on snail farming received in returned agrodok questionnaires. Grasscutter farming technology was introduced in africa as an antidote to reduce hunting pressure on game species but vast majority of grasscutters. The grasscutter also known as the greater cane rat.
Wontewe c 2002 action aid ghana contribution to grasscutter promotion in ghana. The fact that it can also be used for peppersoup is another. Baseline management practices and productivity of captive greater cane rats were studied between february and july 1992 using questionnaires with 33 practising and former farmers in 16 villages in three regions in southern ghana. This study assessed the effects of grasscutter farming on the livelihood of smallholder farmers in asutifi district, brongahafo region, ghana. The grasscutter thryonomys swinderianus, variously known as the marsh canerat, ground hog and in francophone west africa, the aulacode or incorrectly, the agouti is a rodent but not a rat proper, since it belongs to the hystricomorpha porcupine family. They reach a good weight with little supplement feeding and the most preferred bush meat. Region of ghana by the german technical cooperation sedentary farming. Currently, the grasscutter is being developed as a model animal for poverty alleviation in countries such as ghana and the republic of benin.
Pdf challenges and prospect of grasscutter farming in. To achieve this, a new farmer must lay emphasis on the choice of breeding stock. However, there is lack of information on revs of grasscutter production traits in the literature. Grasscutter farming is common nowadays and it is farmed as a microlivestock species in many african countries opara and fagbemi, 2008. The questionnaire was designed in english language and translated to. Grasscutter thryonomys swinderianus production in west. The greater cane rat thryonomys swinderianus is one of two species of cane rats, a small family of african hystricognath rodents. Economic aspects of grasscutter farming in southwest.
The feasibility of establishing sustainable grasscutter farms. They used to be widely hunted but they can now be domesticated for commercial purpose. But with local demand for grasscutters booming, most farmers are unlikely to need to seek markets far from home, ms weidinger. Breeding grasscutter is kept 100% for the meat, it has to grow well and healthy in other to be profitable. How to start grasscutter farming in ghana you only need a little free space in your compound to put up grasscutter farming cages or a kitchen space to convert into a grasscutter pen. The ghana grasscutter project is supporting 54 farmers with domesticated grass cutters in the upper west region to help enhance livelihoods through improvement in grasscutter production. This rodent subclass embraces similar species in both the old and new world, species which were originally classified according to the. Topics covered on grasscutter farming pdf download.
This was supplemented by literature and internet research, as well as. Grasscutter meat, popular called bush meat is a meat commonly consumed in nigerian homes, joints, restaurants, and so on. Bush meat is the favourite of over 80% of nigerian meat eaters, and this fact alone makes the grasscutter a fast moving product in the meat market. Pdf challenges and prospect of grasscutter farming in selected. Grasscutter farming is great if you have a space as small as a room, parking store or kitchen. Adu et al 2005, there is very little information on basic production parameters for efficient economic exploitation under. This food type does not undergo any form of processing.
Comparative analysis of fecal microbiota in grasscutter. Grasscutter meat is a delicacy in ghana because of its high protein contents and low cholesterol level as compared to beef and goat meat. Complete guide on how to start grasscutter farming in. Grasscutter farming can make you at least n3million per year if you take it serious. Principal research assistant, university of ghana s college of agriculture and consumer sciences soil and irrigation resarch centre cacssirec for his contributions on the profitability of grasscutter production. Thryonomys swinderianus is a large rodent native to west africa that is currently under domestication process for meat production. Grasscutter, botanically called thryonomys swinderianus and commonly called the greater cane rat, is a microlivestock widely found in the grasslands, wet or marshy areas in africa. Pdf assessing the effect of grasscutter farming on the livelihood.
Pdf grasscutter farming technology was introduced in africa as an antidote to reduce hunting pressure on game species but vast majority of. Grasscutter farming a profitable alternative to illegal bushmeat. A great deal of basic information was provided by dr joseph r. Cobbinahs practical guide on snail farming in west africa. A grasscutter is set for reproduction after 7months of birth and can. Perceptions of grasscutter thryonomys swinderianus. Grass cutter farming business plan is a lucrative business that needs a lot of strategic planning to start and a business coach like dayo adetiloye to help you. Features and profitability of domestic grasscuttermain work. The male is the engine of reproduction, a healthy male makes a healthy stock. Theanimal production directorate apdofthe ministry of foodand agriculture will liketo thank all those whosecontributiors madethe production of the guineafowl production manual asuccess. It has been noted that grasscuter breeders generally earn two 2 times more t than what they invested in the grasscutter husbandry. Bbc news business bushmeat boom benefits ghanas farmers.
Operational cost for stocking 20 grasscutters 16females and 4males pre production feeding 10 months period before mating and gestation period grasscutter fattening for meat production financial analysis for stocking and fattening profit projection for 20. Grasscutter production in ghana pdf pdf grasscutter farming technology was introduced in africa as an antidote to reduce hunting ghana where farmers had opportunities to be trained. Ghana and simply grasscutter in other west african countries figs. Mitigating strategies to feed scarcity in grasscutter production in ghana 153 ii. Factors influencing the adoption of grasscutter production. Grasscutter farming is virtually new in northern ghana. Grasscutter farming is one the cheapest form of animal production available. Grasscutter farming business plan in nigeria april 2020 pdf. Diverse economical, nutritional and environmental arguments for implementing grasscutter rearing in rural development programmes in africa are listed and a method to develop grasscutter farming in any given country is suggested. The beauty of grasscutter farming is that you can actually rear them without spending much money like poultry and catfish. The cultural and nutritional value of grasscutter meat, compared with that of other domestic animals, is underlined.
The practise of grasscutter farming has grown steadily in west africa over the past couple of years. Grasscutter production is challenging but profitable. Feasibility study on grasscutter farming pdf download. Of all grasscutter products, the meat is of high economic importance. Ghanas main sources of animal protein are fish, livestock and bush meat. Adu e k research on grasscutter production in ghana. Relative economic value estimates of grasscutter production traits. More recently, intensive production of cane rats has been undertaken in countries such as benin and togo and agricultural extension services in cameroon, cote divoire, gabon, ghana, nigeria and democratic republic of congo have also encouraged farmers to rear these rodents in rural and periurban areas anon, 20c. Factors influencing the adoption of grasscutter production in the brong ahafo region of ghana s y annor and c kusi department of animal science education, university of education, winneba, p. Read on to find out more information about this farming.
Most of the bushmeat commonly eaten in ghana was not likely to be infected, kikimoto says grasscutter, for example, is not thought to transmit ebola. Grasscutter thryonomys swinderianus production in west africa. How to start grasscutter farming in ghana the demand for grasscutter meat in ghana is high with its accompanying price hikes. On the one hand, ghanas grasscutter farmers are preparing to rear breeding stock for neighbouring countries. Grasscutter farming a profitable alternative to illegal. I leave in accraghana i want to buy 2 set of colony how possible. That is so as grasscutters are very cheap to rear compared to poultry or snails. Grasscutter is one of the animal that is extremely suitable for commercial rearing. So, how do you start grasscutter farming in nigeria, ghana, kenya, south africa or any part of west africa where this animal is most fond of. Smallscale grasscutter farming shows the best returns, followed by poultry and rabbit. Starting a grasscutter farm sample business plan template. Effects of pelleted feed on the performance of the. This he said is because the venture is a good source of livelihood for farmers and the country as a whole. Smallholder farming of the greater cane rat, thryonomys.
Pdf factors affecting the adoption of grasscutter thryonomys. Official pdf, 154 pages world bank documents world bank group. Starting a grasscutter farming business in west africa or in any part of the world is a lucrative business simply because of the nutritional value of grasscutters. Bushmeat crisis, sustainable farming, grasscutter, gis, weighted. Prospects, challenges and role in disease transmission article pdf available january 2015 with 3,823 reads how we measure reads. For the cages, you need to use wire mesh on the sides as the. Data collection data were collected by interviewing 38 farmers using a structured questionnaire. These rodents also known as the cane rat or bush meat, generally live by the meadows, clearings, muddy territories, reedbeds, and river banks in subsaharan africa, and can grow to lengths of almost 2 ft 0. Ghana engage in grasscutter rearing as full time engagement as well as. The challenges and prospects of grasscutter farming in selected areas in rivers state was therefore carried out with the aim of assessing the factors militating against grasscutter farming in the. Grasscutter farming business plan nigeria this business plan is regularly updated and can also be used for bank loans, grants, proposal for competitions etc. The spiny fur on the back and rounded nose distinguish grasscutter from true rats. Grasscutter pancreas is believed to have a high concentration of insulin which can be used in the treatment of diabetes. Grasscutter production enterprises require good information systems to.
This is because 95% of their food is grass and cassava. This rodent subclass embraces similar species in both the old and new world, species which were originally classified. Prince arinze onebunne mdceo jovana integrated farms is the author of a book on commercial grasscutter production and export. The cane rat lives by reedbeds and riverbanks in subsaharan africa. Ghana s main sources of animal protein are fish, livestock and bush meat. Benefits of the study it is the hope of the researchers that the study will encourage grasscutter farmers to use pelleted feed in all areas of grasscutter production in ghana so that feed wastage by the rodent is curbed and improve on the nutrition of the feed. Information on feed resources, management practices and mitigating strategies were collected. How to start grasscutter farming in nigeria complete guide. Prince arinze is regularly consulted on grasscutter matters relating to the management of grasscutters, animal health, grass management, breeding and kidding practices and other related aspects. This will go a long way in alleviating poverty, reducing. Best guide how to start grasscutter farming business. Male grasscutters mature in 8 months or 32 weeks and they have a minimum body weight of 2. Greater cane rat popularly known as grasscutter belongs to the rodent family and is very closely related to the porcupine, almost look alike except that porcupine is bigger.