Farmers Urged to Protect Animal Feed from Plastic

Professor Michael Boateng, an Animal Scientist and Lecturer in the Department of Animal Science at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, has stated that plastic has severe consequences on animal health when ingested.

According to him, some farmers collect leftover food from markets and restaurants to feed their animals. 

Unfortunately, they sometimes accidentally pick up plastic waste along with the food. 

When animals try to extract salt from these plastics, they may inadvertently ingest them, leading to health challenges.

“Plastic is an ‘inert’ material, so when ingested, it takes forever to remain in the alimentary canal or digestive tract of the animal. The prolonged stay of this material in the alimentary canal means that it’ll become dislodged at a particular portion of the tract, occupying space and preventing the animal from feeding appropriately. We have research data to the effect that some of these animals, in extreme cases, may succumb to this plastic ingestion, leading to their death,” he said.

In an interview as part of a documentary produced by Orange FM dubbed “Plastic Peril Part Two”, he further pointed out that when plastic material blocks the digestive tract, it prevents the animal from obtaining the necessary nutrition from feed. 

As a result, the animals can become malnourished, leading to serious health complications and ultimately, death.

Some animal owners at the Kumasi Abattoir expressed concerns about plastic pollution affecting their livestock.

The leader of the group, Abdul-Razak Mahmud, disclosed that one of their cattle died recently after ingesting plastic materials.

“One of our cattle recently died after ingesting plastic materials. Its throat was choked by plastic waste, preventing it from eating. It became ill and ultimately died here. Plastic waste is extremely harmful to cattle,” he indicated.

In light of these concerns, Professor Michael Boateng urged animal farmers to prevent their animals from consuming plastic products to reduce the risk of illnesses and death.

He also cautioned against the careless disposal of plastic waste and encouraged increased recycling efforts to address this pressing issue.