Ghana: Bush Meat Gives Country More Revenue Than Mining

14 January 2011

It is almost common knowledge that wild animal meat sold in Ghana's major markets every year amounts to anything between 200 and 350 million dollars in revenue. Perhaps, what is unknown to many Ghanaians is that these revenues from the sale of grasscutter (akrantie), antelopes, rats, snails, birds, etc., rub shoulders with, and even outstrip annual revenues from timber and minerals.

The Forest Services Division (FSD) of the Forestry Commission (FC) has confirmed that in 2008 and 2009 timber fetched Ghana a total of 350 million dollars in each of the two years, comprising 250 million dollars export revenue and an estimated 100 million dollars for 400,000 cubic metres of wood consumed locally. But 80% of this wood is considered illegal.

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