Fish plays an important role in the nutrition of sub-Saharan Africans. C ountries like Ghana are heavily dependent on fish, with consumption at 23kg per capita. Aquaculture is only in its early development phase, contributing to 1-3% of global production and needs to expand rapidly ahead of Africa’s population growth.
The American Soybean Association’s World Initiative for Soy in Human Health program (ASA/WISHH) has been working in Africa for the past 20 y ears strengthening agricultural value chains. Through funding provided by the USDA’s Agricultural Trade Promotion program (ATP), ASA/WISHH has increased its scope to include aquaculture development in key West African markets including Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal . The initiative is focused on feed management, but also provides technical expertise in fish health and diagnostics, farm design, marketing and hatchery management.
The ASA/WISHH aquaculture team has provided feed producers with extrusion training, technical assistance to clients, and feed trials. ASA/WISHH does not promote any one brand of feed but focuses on teaching farmers how to manage their feeds as it accounts for 60-80% of their direct cost. This has allowed ASA/WISHH advisors to offer objective evaluations of farmer practices and feed performance trials with the aim of making improvements.
Expectations are to see farms more data-driven in decision making and promote open knowledge-sharing amongst fish farmers for collective growth.