Experiment Stations and Soil Scientists and Abattoirs, Oh My!

University of Ghana

Today was action packed and full of amazing new discoveries. Mid morning found us at the University of Ghana – Department of Animal Science to meet with the department head, Dr. Frederick Yeboah Obese. A wonderfully jovial man. Dr. Obese provided us with great insight to the issues facing beef production in Ghana. Ticks are apparently a very bad problem across the countryside and non-native cattle seem to have a very hard time staying alive.

These Bos indicus are natives of Namibia.

We then departed Dr. Obese and headed to the Agricon offices to meet with Envaserv Research Consult, a company with the ability and scientific knowhow to provide the ranch with in depth soils and water quality data, as well as detailed GIS maps of the property at large. These guys were most certainly professionals. 

Another cram back into the tiny Ford pickup and we were off to the University of Ghana's experiment station to take a look at some of their production practices and imported genetics. The station was run down, but in Accra, what isn't? Constructed in 1953, the small farm has not seen an improvement since it's inception, and the only investment money has come in the form of research grants from the Leventis Foundation to improve poultry production. 

The experiment stations Sanga-Shorthorn cross cattle.

 A cross between Persian Black Heads and Djallonke Sheep. 

Farm Relics

By far the most interesting part of the day was a visit to the Accra Abattoir Company. In the US, bystanders are never allowed to just walk freely through a processing plant and they are most certainly not allowed to snap photos, but that is exactly the opportunity that we got today. 

One of the most well spoken and interesting people that I have had the pleasure of speaking with, Mr. Kwabena Osei-Boaten was educated at Dartmouth College and later worked as a top executive at a Dallas-based internet company before moving back to Ghana to re-open the meat packing company. A financially astute individual, it was clear that Mr. Boaten was running a tight ship and had his finger on the financial health of Ghana as a whole. He also operates his business with extremely good company culture; his pay is above average and he even went as far as building a Mosque for his Muslim employees. 

Transparent marketing on the side of this refrigerator truck! 

The kill floor. The lights weren't on, it's not that gloomy.

Band saw for halving beef carcasses.

Trey Milhoan, Emmanuel Dagbui, and plant owner - Kwabena Osei-Boaten.

And what post would be complete without a picture from the drive home! "A picture is worth 1000 words," but there are no words that can explain the shear chaos of the trip home tonight. Trey's knuckles were as white as printer paper and he later told me that he nearly kicked a hole in the floor trying to "hit the breaks." He was in the passenger seat. People here are everywhere; in the back of trash trucks, on top of cargo that is staked on top of buses, and inside oil drums! Yet amidst the rancid odors, blown-out speakers and pot-holed roads, there is a beauty to Accra, Ghana that is unique and will forever be engrained in my memory.

This picture does not do the chaos justice. It needs sound and smell. 

For more pictures from Ghana check out: http://instagram.com/americanag

Check out TCU Ranch Management at: http://ranch.tcu.edu/
Check out the Institute of Ranch Management at: http://www.instituterm.tcu.edu/