The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi, in collaboration with Women in Poultry Value Chain (WIPVaC), has held a weeklong capacity-building workshop focused on supporting women and smallholder farmers' success in the poultry industry. The workshop, held under the theme "Building Capacity of Local Hatcheries to Support Women and Smallholder Farmer Success," and funded by the World Initiative for Soya in Human Health (WISHH)/American Soya Association (ASA) took place at the Amonoo-Neizer Conference Centre (IDL Conference Centre) from 6th to 10th May 2024.
The workshop was initiated by the Olympio Hatchery at the Department of Animal Science, KNUST. The event garnered participation from key industry players such as the Ghana National Association of Poultry Farmers, Akate Farms and Trading Company Limited, Agromonti Company Limited, Wereko Asubonteng Farms, Awudu Issaka Farms, Rockland Farms Limited, among others.

The Provost of the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (CANR), KNUST, Professor Dadson Awunyo-Vitor, in his opening remarks, highlighted the significance of day-old chicks as a vital input, stressing that the quality of these chicks directly impacts the overall output in poultry production. Professor Awunyo-Vitor addressed concerns about the recent trend of importing day-old chicks due to increased mortality rates among locally produced ones. He stressed the importance of acquiring the right day-old chicks through proper breeding practices and hatchery methods, underscoring the need for stakeholder engagement to ensure quality. The workshop, focusing on these aspects, becomes pivotal in addressing industry challenges and promoting local production sustainability, he noted.
Professor Awunyo-Vitor also outlined the potential economic benefits of producing day-old chicks in Ghana. “If we can get our day-old chicks through appropriate poultry hatchery practices, then we will be able to save a lot of foreign exchange that can help reduce the exchange rate and create jobs for our youth,” he remarked. He encouraged participants to actively engage in the training and implement the acquired knowledge to benefit the poultry production sector and assured stakeholders of the College's readiness to provide support, expertise, and innovative ideas to enhance farmer’s competencies and the growth of the industry.

Mr. Vincent Frimpong Manu Esq., Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Middle Belt, Ghana, speaking on the theme, underlined the key role of hatcheries in incubating fertilised eggs and ensuring their viability for farming operations, specifically in the poultry industry. Mr. Manu stressed the necessity for local hatcheries to meet standardised requirements, including effective internal management systems, adoption of viable technologies, appropriate physical infrastructure, human resources, and reliable data to meet national and international standards.
Highlighting challenges faced by women, youth, and small-scale poultry farmers, he called for regular dialogues among stakeholders to provide necessary resources and support, emphasising the importance of contemporary knowledge, hands-on technical training, and leadership skills development for women hatchery owners and managers. Mr. Manu commended the work of the Women in Poultry Value Chain and called for the organisation of women into groups to enhance their collective power in the hatchery business.

The Chairman of the Veterinary Council of Ghana, Professor Jonathan Amakyi-Anim, highlighted the urgent need for a Hatchery Council. He suggested that Professor Jacob Alhassan Hamidu, the Manager of the Olympio Hatchery at KNUST should be made Chairman of the Hatchery Council because of his expertise in the poultry industry. He also underscored the significant contribution the Council will bring towards meat and egg production, particularly through the hatchery sector, which focuses on artificial incubation and supplying day-old chicks. However, he expressed concerns over the low quality of locally produced chicks, leading to preference for imported ones among poultry farmers. Professor Amakyi-Anim attributed this shortfall to the absence of a proper hatchery bill, resulting in substandard operations and a lack of regulatory oversight. He underlined the need for stringent regulations to enhance the quality of domestically hatched chicks, reduce import dependency, and meet rising demand.

Representing the Director General of the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), Dr. Samuel Kofi Frimpong, the AG. Director of the Middle Belt, GSA highlighted the critical need for hatchery standards and codes of ethics. Presenting the Authority's role in developing, publishing, and promoting standards across the nation, Dr. Frimpong stressed the collaborative effort with the Ghana Poultry Project (GPP) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in crafting key standards within the poultry value chain. He credited the dedication of the GPP, members of the National Technical Committee, and acknowledged Professor Jacob Alhassan Hamidu from KNUST for their contributions towards the crafting of standards and codes of conduct for poultry hatcheries. Dr. Frimpong underlined the importance of Ghana achieving self-sufficiency in agriculture and expressed optimism that the standards drafted to guide the operations of poultry hatcheries would serve as a guiding light, to ensure the production of high-quality and healthy day-old chicks in the poultry sector.
Solidarity messages were shared by Mr. Jonas Asare Berchie, Acting National Director of the Animal Production Directorate at MoFA; Mr. Victor Oppong Adjei, the National Chairman of the Ghana National Poultry Farmers Association; Madam Comfort Afelik Asitik the Vice President of WIPVaC; and Mrs. Catherine Osei-Tutu, the Ashanti Region President of WIPVaC. Additionally, there was an insightful address by Miss Harriet Osei Agyekum Sarpong, the Representative of the World Initiative for Soya in Human Health (WISHH)/American Soya Association (ASA) in Ghana and a session with Dr. Oscar Simon Olympio, whom the Olympio Hatchery was named after for his contribution to the Poultry Industry in Ghana. The session ended with a panel discussion moderated by Professor Kwaku Adomako, a breeder and a facilitator at the workshop.