Poultry Husbandry Competencies of Farmers and Challenges Faced by Agricultural Extension Agents in Selected Districts in the Central Region, Ghana

Abstract

Many poultry farmers lack the skills and knowledge needed to effectively scale up their production, which limits their ability to meet growing demand and improve productivity. Essential competencies such as proper feeding, disease prevention, housing management, breeding techniques, and biosecurity measures are often missing, leading to challenges like disease outbreaks, poor waste management, and low profitability. These gaps stem from a lack of sufficient poultry husbandry competencies. The study examined farmers' poultry husbandry management competencies and the challenges of agricultural extension agents in selected districts in the Central region of Ghana. The study used a descriptive survey design and a census procedure to select respondents. A questionnaire was used to collect data from 130 farmers and 10 extension agents. Kerndall’s concordance of coefficient, stepwise regression, correlation coefficients, and descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that the farmers have a deeper understanding of determining appropriate sources of healthy birds, maintaining sanitation, identifying various poultry diseases, and selecting appropriate structure types for birds. However, significant gaps in knowledge were found in the periods of vaccination and disinfestation. Finally, agricultural extension agents faced significant challenges such as disease management. The study recommends a collaboration between universities and the Ministry of Food and Agriculture to develop comprehensive training modules and effective methods for poultry husbandry management, aimed at training both extension agents and farmers. Further, MoFA should focus and improve on disease surveillance