WAAPP trains livestock assistants

West Africa Agricultural Productivity Project
(WAAPP) in collaboration with Animal Health and
Production Services Unit (AHPSU) of the
Department of Agriculture (DOA) recently
concluded a five-day intensive capacity
enhancement training for livestock assistants on
small ruminants and poultry production and
management held at Agricultural Rural Farmer
Training Center (ARFTC) in Jenoi, Lower River
Region.
The convergence, which attracted over 50
participants drawn across the country, was
organised by WAAPP.
Executed by AHPSU, the training was supported
by Gambia Emergency Agricultural Production
Support Project.
The principal objective of the training was to
enhance the knowledge and skills of participants
involved in small ruminants and poultry
production to livestock assistants for better
service delivery to farmers.
The training took the form of participatory
approach with resource persons drawn from
APHSU Department of Agriculture.
Speaking on behalf of the Governor of Lower
River Region, Deputy Governor Modou Njie
challenged participants to gather as much
knowledge as possible to be effective in service
delivery to their clients.
Now that the ban on the importation of poultry
products is in effect, he noted, they should
redouble their efforts to provide sound
production practices to farmers to ensure the
adequate supply of poultry products to the
markets.
He emphasised that it is only when this is
achieved, that the impact of the gap to be created
by the ban will not be severe on the population.
He reiterated the need for Gambians to eat what
they produce and produce what they eat as a
slogan for all farm production service delivery
workers.
He therefore expressed the hope that they will
make good use of the resource persons to
enhance their service delivery exercise for
improved farm productivity at the farmers' level.
Falalo Touray, deputy director general of the
Department of Agriculture, highlighted the
importance of livestock, particularly small
ruminants and poultry, "in our daily lives".
He noted that not only do they enhance our daily
protein requirements, but they also provide
organic fertilizer for our horticultural crops and
savings accounts for most of our farmers.
He added that all efforts should be made to
facilitate the production of these national assets
for improved food security and poverty
reduction.
Matarr Njie, principal animal husbandry officer,
talked about constraints of poultry production,
housing, basics skills of keeping poultry, poultry
feeding and feed management, bio-security and
disease surveillance, principles of handling
vaccines among others.
Ebrima Gaye, livestock officer, did a presentation
on poultry housing.
Lamin Saine, senior livestock officer, also did a
presentation on constraints in small ruminants
production, feeds and feeding, mineral block
preparation, vaccines and vaccinations, principles
of breeding and fattening, health and
management, and intensive feed gardens.