The U.S. Grains Council’s (USGC’s) Middle East, Africa and Europe regional office in Tunis, Tunisia, recently sponsored training for poultry industry representatives from the West African countries of Ghana and Ivory Coast. Collaborating with FISA’s (The Moroccan Poultry Association’s) training center, the Council is focused on educating West African poultry farmers and association members on all aspects of production and management including the technical knowledge and practical experience necessary to address industry challenges in their respective countries.
In October, using U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Section 108 funds, the Council hosted 22 poultry industry professionals from Ghana and Ivory Coast for a one-week program in Morocco to learn more about the best practices of poultry farming and nutrition.
“The markets across West Africa are growing and developing, and the demand for higher protein animal products is increasing. The Council is committed to supporting the development of the feed and livestock markets in the region, specifically the feed and poultry industry across West Africa,” said Kurt Shultz, USGC senior director of global strategies. “Emerging markets based in West Africa face several challenges including poor-quality feed; inefficient warehousing and storage; low productivity of producers; and inadequate safety and security of poultry products, among other challenges.”
To address technical problems in the industry in West Africa, the Council is leveraging its long-time partnership with FISA’s training center, Avipole, as a site for providing practical training to stakeholders. In 2017, the Council began organizing poultry management training short courses at the center, with FISA supporting the development and oversight of these short courses.
“The program held in October by FISA coincided with the Poultry Show “Dawajine” in Morocco. The West African delegation had the chance to visit their Moroccan counterparts and, as a result, expressed their interest to form an African Confederation for Poultry Development,” said Dr. Ait Boulahsen, USGC consultant in Morocco. “This new regional association will create a new dynamic for capacity building in West African countries and will help the industry leverage and tackle obstacles to improve the cost of poultry production and quality of poultry meat to the final consumer within West Africa,” Boulahsen said.
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