An ambitious agriculture apprentice wants to recreate Ontario’s bucolic cow pastures and vast mechanized dairy farms in a place where a glass of non-powdered milk is considered an exotic drink.
Ban Awuku, 23, has his sights set on pioneering a dairy industry in his native Ghana. He’s spending time at a dairy farm north of Toronto as part of a 4-H exchange program. He hopes to get a taste of rural Canada that he can bring back home.
“I’ve been documenting the things I have been seeing here,” he told CTV News. “When I go back home I’m going to have a whole lot to share.”
Awaku has been learning the ropes from his Canadian exchange partner, 19-year old Logan Emiry. Together they see big opportunities in introducing the West African republic to the simple pleasure of an ice cold glass of milk.
Ghana is almost totally dependent on bulk milk imports, according the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Most dairy goods arrive from Europe in the form of powdered milk and processed products. Local milk rarely enters the market.
“Dairy is not really popular in Ghana. People own cows for beef production, but if you see someone milking a cow, it is just for subsistence reasons for the family,” Awaku explains.
A USDA report on Ghana released in May calls the country an “emerging market for U.S. suppliers,” citing the changing eating habits of a growing middle class who increasingly seek protein-rich foods.
Awaku hopes to establish himself before major foreign players gain a larger foothold.
“I feel like it is going to help us, not just me, but my country,” Awaku said. “There is a problem with unemployment.”
Emiry is equally eager to see a domestic dairy industry spring up in Ghana. He said Awaku has talked about taking the lead with his own farm, but he’s open to the idea of pooling their resources.
“It could be a partnership one day,” he said. “Ghana could be a true dairy leader for both their nation and their region of Africa.”
Like the USDA, he sees the rising nutritional demands that underscore the business case for a scalable dairy operation. But he readily admits the challenge of getting cows to Ghana, feeding them, and getting the product to market is a daunting one.
“Starting an industry is doing to be a bit of a struggle,” Emiry said.
Awaku has been involved with the 4-H club for six years now. He took on the role of host last year when Emiry came to visit Ghana through the same program that brought him to Ontario.
While their joint venture is barley on the drawing board, the pair’s dairy dreams are a shining example of the 4-H club mantra, “learning by doing.”
“That idea of actually going ahead and starting a dairy farm, that plays right into it. Getting out there and doing it yourself, not just reading about it in a book,” Emiry said.
“I’ve learned so much,” said Awaku. “Sometimes, I already feel like I am in the business.”
With a report from CTV’s John Vennavally-Rao
