Facts and Figures
- DDF Project Title
- Strengthening Poultry Value Chain
- DDF Fellow Reference Number
- DDF 18
- Partner in The Gambia
- WTS Vets United
- Geographical Coverage
- Urban-Rural
- Period
- 2022 – 2023
- DDF Grant
- D300,000
- Cash Contribution
- Nil
- In-kind Contribution
- D429,552
Challenges and Opportunities
The Gambia poultry sector consists of 94.5% indigenous poultry and 5.5% small to medium commercial flocks raised in an intensive production system. The indigenous flocks are not very productive due to the lack of genetic programs. The commercial sector uses genetically improved breeds that produce a lot of meat in a relatively short time and about 325 eggs per year per laying hen.
In 2019, the country produced about 160 metric tonnes of poultry meat and 10.8 metric tonnes of eggs and imported about 21,000 metric tonnes of poultry meat and 500 metric tonnes of eggs (FAO. 2021. Empowering rural women to participate in the agribusiness value chain).
Dr. Jarra Jagne (USA)
DDF 18
Dr. Jarra Jagne is a veterinarian with over 26 years of experience in poultry disease management and control. At Cornell University, where she currently serves as Associate Professor of Practice for the Department of Public and Ecosystem Health, she translates and interprets poultry test data for veterinary practitioners and poultry producers as well as provide on farm technical assistance to large commercial and small poultry farm owners.
‘’Many Gambians have invested in the modern poultry sector. There is a dearth of production and health information available for both poultry producers and livestock assistant students at Gambia College. I would like to offer a capacity building program for both these audiences.’’
~ Dr. Jarra Jagne, Project Lead.
About The Project
Dr. Jagne’s project is the first private venture that attempts to provide services aimed specifically at mitigating the risks and challenges that directly threaten the prospects of the industry, and are significant causal factors in the high losses incured by poultry farmers in The Gambia; poor disease control, ignorance of improved production methods and use of biosecurity practices; and bad post-harvest food safety systems and processes. She seeks to leverage her academic background and network to ensure poultry farmers and the livestock assistants (LA) are properly trained to support poultry investments.
DDF Results and Impact
Training:
- 29 Gambia College Higher National Diploma (HND) and Livestock Certificate Students; 3-day workshop on poultry production and disease management including laboratory session and farm visit
- 30 Poultry farmers; 3-day workshop on poultry production and disease management including laboratory session and poultry farm visit.
- 30 members of Gambia Women Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) Poultry Interest Group ½ day seminar.
Practical Benefits:
- Farmers equipped with skill sets and knowledge to deal with challenges in poultry production and disease management.
- Gambia College HND students in Animal Health improved their knowledge in a field that does not have much attention in their curriculum.
- Gambia College HND students and farmers exposed to laboratory sessions that improved their disease diagnostic skills.
- An introduction to business essentials such as financing poultry projects,calculating profit margins etc, was a big hit for both farmers and students.
Networking Groups:
- 30 Poultry Farmers started a WhatsApp group as a vehicle for forming a Gambian Poultry Farmer’s group. The newly formed group wants to bring together the disparate poultry groups for their economic benefit.
- Gambia College student participants obtained scholarship from the project lead to continue to the HND level.
- 50 Farmers and College students raising poultry have been in touch asking for advise on their flocks.
- Sponsored a booth for the Gambia Women Chamber of Commerce (GWCC) group at the 2023 National Trade Fair. Five women sold broiler meat and eggs.
- GWCC created a formal Gambian Women in Poultry Group who met on 20 July 2023 and have already elected an Executive Committee with the Project Lead as their technical advisor.
- GWCC Gambian Women In Poultry will participated in the National Youth and Women’s Agribusiness and Tourism Trade Fair (Dec 1-25, 2023).
- Provision of a book on poultry raising in resource-poor communities for all Book in pdf was provided on a memory stick.
- Provision of text on how to do a chicken necropsy (hard copy text book) for all attendees.
