The Promoting Access of Indigenous People to Decent Work and Social Protection in the Bono East Area (PRODESOP) Project is a 4-year social protection project primarily funded by the European Union (EU) with counterpart funding from four implementing partners (i.e. Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA), National Association of Local Authorities of Ghana (NALAG), Centre of Posterity Interest Organization (COPIO) and Abrono Organic Farmers Project (ABOFAP)). The EU is contributing 80% of the total project cost while the implementing partners are contributing 20%. The objectives of the programme were to;
- Seeks to leverage on agriculture (ginger and fish value chains) to provide employment for the very poorest especially women, youth and PWDs within the participating districts
- Seeks to provide employment for beneficiaries through the provision of basic infrastructure, skills development, supplies and inputs for commercial production, Seeks to provide extension services, Value addition processes and access to market
- Improve their incomes and standard of living to access Social Protection Services ( i.e. NHIS, pension services )
Purpose of The Training
Post-harvest loses has become a bane in the agriculture sector causing actors hugely in their resources. The perishable nature of fish has call for attention right after harvest. In view of making its high demand and source of protein to many across the globe several preservation and storage methods have been adopted by actors.
The purpose of this training was to build the capacity of key actors thus the beneficiaries of the PRODESOP project in harvesting, storage, preservation, book keeping and post-harvest losses in fish farming. The imports of the training was to prepare beneficiaries ahead of the harvesting, distribution, value-addition of the fish farms in the Pru West and East Districts of the Bono East Region.
Training Objectives:
It was intended that by the end of the training, Participants will be able to:
- To understand the process and methods of fish harvesting in cages and tanks
- To introduce beneficiaries to basic book and records keeping methods
- To equip beneficiaries on basic storage and preservation of fish
- Introduce beneficiaries to post-harvest losses in fish farming
Participants and Facilitators
Attached is the list of participants drawn from women, persons with disabilities (PWDs) and youth along the fish value chain in beneficiary communities in Pru West.
Facilitation
The training was facilitated by
- Mr. Wilfred Amanko Akangaba, the District Director of Fisheries for the Pru Districts. He was chosen base on his enhanced experience in the sector.
4.0 Methodology
This was a three-hour intensive training where beneficiaries were exposed to practical and theoretical methods of fish harvesting, preservation, book keeping and post-harvest losses. The training was conducted based on the following methods.
- Demonstration
- Discussions
- Visual aids
- Power point Presentations
Topics Treated
Beneficiaries were taken through the following topics as part of the preparatory activities for fish harvesting. Fish value chain right from production, harvesting, distribution was demonstrated through a diagram. Main topics treated were:
- Harvesting
On harvesting, participants were taking through processes of fish harvesting both in wild, tank and cage. Also participants were taking through both traditional and modern harvesting where they were introduced to harvesting tools such as cast net, trap net, siene net, hook and line, gill net among others. Here members were taken through how the tools were used for the harvesting of fish.
- Storage and preservation
On storage and preservation, the facilitator introduced participants to both traditional and modern forms of fish storage and preservation. On the traditional preservative methods participants were introduced to the common and approved smoking and drying of fish for preservation. The salting and drying methods for the popular “Cobi” was taught giving practical demonstration.
On the modern methods, members were taken through the fridge methods, ice tanks, solar powered cold store, Styrofoam with ice, storage container and canning methods,
- Book keeping
Members were also taken through book keeping and basic records management skills. There was demonstrations using appropriate templates for the beneficiaries. Samples of the templates were completed for the beneficiaries to acquaint themselves. Some of the samples were keeping records of fish sales, calculation of investment returns.
- Post-Harvest losses
Participants were also trained on post-harvest losses. The facilitator indicated that post-harvest losses refer to the reduction in quantity, quality or monetary value of fish and its products. It was revealed that there are several factors that cause post-harvest losses. The losses occur from capture, processing, distribution/wholesale and retail sectors of the fish value-chain. It was indicated that bad practice at point of capture, bad storage practices excessive time waste
Challenges
- Low knowledge in the use of modern harvesting tools
- Inadequate storage facilities
- High cost of storage facilities
- High cost of energy
- Unpredictable weather affecting drying
- High illiteracy for records keeping
RECOMMENDATIONS
- Practical usage and demonstration of modern harvesting tools
- We recommend for the provision of standard and adequate storage facilities
- Provision of subsidy for purchase of simple storage facilities
- Provision of subsidy for energy users
CONCLUSION
Following the successful training for the project beneficiaries who are mostly the vulnerable, there is every indication that the project would positively impact on a lot more when they start harvesting.
