Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Constraints
The major constraints on development of beekeeping in Ghana include the
following:
•
lack of technical competence
•
limited information on the African honeybee
•
absconding of bees
•
phobia about bees
•
limited capital for acquisition of the proper gear for harvesting and processing
the honey
•
bushfire, which destroys the habitat of the bees
•
use of agrochemicals that are inimical to bees
•
marketing problems emanating from poor quality of the honey produced and
ignorance of marketing channels.
Raising snails in conserved forests
Background
The giant African snail is an important source of animal protein in many parts of
Ghana. The black strain (
Achatina achatina
), locally known as
nwapa
, is the
largest. It occurs commonly in the forest areas, while the lighter-coloured species
mpobri
or
otabraa
(
A. marginata
) is more predominant in the savanna areas. The
snail has a high percentage of good-quality protein (69 per cent dry weight) and
abounds in minerals such as potassium and phosphorus, and in vitamins C and B
complex. However, certain tribes, notably the Ewes, others in northern Ghana,
and certain religious groups, do not eat the snail.
Traditionally rural folk scout freely in the forests and farmlands to collect
snails during the rainy season for sale and domestic consumption. Snail collec-
tion is usually undertaken during the night or in the early hours of the morning.
Snail, both live and processed, attract very high prices locally and abroad,
where they are increasingly exported. This trend has generated a lot of interest
in snail rearing in both urban and rural areas. In the rural areas snail fattening as
well as snail rearing are practised in the homestead or on farmlands. This has
the promise of engendering interest in natural vegetation conservation to provide
a ready source of breeding material and a suitable environment for rearing the
snails. Farmers also tend to protect tree species that are known to attract snails
and, sometimes, they intentionally introduce these species into their farms. Snail
rearing is an easy, reliable, and low-input source of supplementary income from
conserved forests. For these reasons conservationists, wildlife experts, rural
developers, government agencies, NGOs, and other organizations such as PLEC
