Professor Addah Weseh, Director of the Directorate of Community Relations & Outreach Program at UDS
New studies by the University for Development Studies (UDS) have revealed that poorly fed cattle contribute more to global warming and greenhouse gas emissions than cars.
According to the research, a poorly fed White Fulani dairy cow or bull produces an average of 10 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, compared to a typical passenger car, which produces about five tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year if driven approximately 18,500 kilometers annually.
This means that a typical Ghanaian cow, when fed on low-quality diets, contributes more to global warming than a car, the research concluded.
Professor Addah Weseh, Director of the Directorate of Community Relations and Outreach Program at UDS, disclosed the findings during the 20th Professorial Inaugural Lecture of UDS in Tamale last Friday.
Delivering his lecture on the topic: “Appropriate Technologies in the Conservation and Utilization of Crop Residues: A Panacea to the Influx of Live Ruminants from Sahel States into Ghana,” Prof. Addah described the situation as alarming and called for deliberate and stringent government interventions.
“If you have a White Fulani dairy cow, it produces about four tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year of methane. If you add nitrous oxide, the total emissions amount to 10 tonnes per year. That’s a significant contribution from just one cow,” he explained.
“We often say industrialization is the cause of global warming, but you can see that cattle are also major contributors. When you compare, a small car driving 18,500 kilometers per year produces just five tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. So, which is actually contributing more to global warming?” he questioned.
“In the Northern Region, a typical cattle herd numbers around 60. This means the greenhouse gases produced by 60 cows are equivalent to the emissions from about 120 petrol cars,” Professor Addah emphasised.
Why poor feeding increases methane
Professor Addah explained that while all animals produce methane, poorly fed cattle generate much higher levels. This is because low-quality diets take longer to digest in the rumen, leading to increased methane production.
“Methane production is higher when the cow’s diet is poor. The feed stays in the rumen for a longer time, and that prolonged digestion produces more methane. If you improve the digestibility of crop residues, you reduce methane production and ultimately help to mitigate global warming,” he explained.
Solutions to the Problem
As a Professor of Ruminant Nutrition at UDS’s Department of Animal Science, Professor Addah said Ghana produces enough crops to feed its livestock year-round, but farmers struggle to conserve the crop residues generated.
He urged farmers to learn proper crop residue conservation techniques, emphasising that this would provide sufficient livestock feed even during the dry season.
While Ghana utilises only about 32% of its available crop residues for livestock feed, Burkina Faso feeds between 45% and 100% of its crop residues to animals, making their cattle healthier, more export-ready, and less harmful to the environment due to lower methane emissions.
Professor Addah also called on the government to regulate bush burning to protect crop residues for local livestock.
“If the government pays serious attention to crop residue conservation and regulates bush burning, Ghanaian livestock will have enough to feed on, even in the dry season,” he advised.
What is crop residue?
Crop residue refers to the plant material left in a field after harvesting, including stalks, leaves, and stems, which can be used as animal feed if properly preserved.
