Sustainable Feed Development
A detailed survey of all potential agro-by-products (palm kernel cake, copra cake, cotton seed cake, groundnut cake, groundnut peels, soybean cake) in ten regions of Ghana was undertaken. This was to assess the level and volume of production. The outcomes of this was to provide considerable opportunities for fish farmers and feed manufacturers in the formulation of farm-made and commercial aquafeeds based on the abundance and relatively cheaper prices of these ingredients. The inclusion of these agro-industrial by-products in fish feeds will ultimately allow small-scale fish farmers to tailor feed inputs to according to ingredients available in their locality.
Capacity Building
This component involves the training of two PhD and three MPhil students enrolled at KNUST but jointly supervised by our Danish partners. Their study falls under the broad thematic areas of identification of novel aquafeed ingredients, fish nutrition and growth and assessing the environmental impacts of the developed feeds. Researchers are equipped with the knowledge and skills to handle state-of-the-art laboratory and field equipment in the course of their study.
Knowledge from this project will be transferred nationally through collaboration with farmers and at workshops including key stakeholders, and internationally through publications and conferences. The project seeks to ultimately position KNUST to play a lead role in the development of efficient aquaculture feeds, as well as serve as a competent partner to private feed mills, that inevitably will follow the significant expansion of the aquaculture sector that presently is emerging.
Dissemination and Outreach
This is a key component of the project as it affords the research team an opportunity to make known the findings from the research work to the aquaculture research community and to all relevant stakeholders at national, regional and international conferences and in published peer-reviewed theses and scientific journals.
One milestone achieved under this component has been the organization of a 2-day International Conference on Animal Nutrition which brought together several researchers from the animal feed industry across West Africa who shared their research findings and experiences through presentations.
The production of technical manuals, workshops and field demonstrations are means through which the findings and results can be extended to fish farmers. Creation of these avenues to train farmers and feeders on feeding based on response, feed management and the use of feed charts in commercial aquaculture will go a long way to equip farmers with evidence-based feed management techniques.