![IMG_20160309_070934[1]](https://blog.gfar.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/img_20160309_0709341.jpg?w=1086)
I am Albert Akafari Ayinpoya, 28, a citizen of the Republic of Ghana, from Zorko in the Upper East Region of the country.
I hold a BA in Economics and Entrepreneurship Development from the University for Development Studies. I currently work with the Youth Harvest Foundation Ghana as an Agro-Enterprise Development Supervisor seeking to reduce poverty among small holder farmers through the Guinea Fowl Market System.
I am an agripreneur who has a local processing centre for processing quality guinea fowl meat for the market
The project will partner with the Guinea Fowl Farmers Association (GUIFFA) to build the capacities of farmers who are in Farmer Based Organizations (FBOs). The capacity-building process intends guiding the guinea fowl farmers to adopt best agriculture practices in producing quality guinea fowls for the guinea fowl processing centre.
The Participatory Market System Development (PMSD) approach will be used to ensure that the farmers are linked to some key actors (e.g. egg producers, brooders, hatchers, feed manufactures) in the guinea fowl value chain.
The PMSD approach will ensure that the farmers are linked to egg producers to access guinea fowl eggs, the hatchers for the hatchers of the guinea fowl eggs, the brooders for guinea keets and feed manufactures for formulated feed.
The approach will ensure that the all key actors as mentioned above are brought on board to ensure the production of quality guinea fowls for the market which will attract premium prices.
The quality Guinea Fowls produced by the farmers will be purchased and processed by the processing centre through recommended guidelines by the Ghana standard Authority and packaged for sale to hotels and restaurants. The farmers will sell the life quality guinea fowls to the processing site collectively for premium prices.
The model depicts that the FBOs and the processing center will get premium prices for quality life and processed guinea fowls respectively.
Guinea fowl is a domestic animal reared under the extensive system by almost every farmer in the Upper East Region of Ghana. It plays an important role in ensuring income securities among farmers especially in the dry season (from November to May) where no crop production is going on.
Farmers rely on the income generated from the sale the guinea fowl to pay for their children school fees, health needs also to go into crop production in the coming farming season. These suggest why guinea fowl production is key to every farmer in the Upper East Region Ghana.
Guinea fowl meat has many nutritional qualities which make it valuable when it is being added to diet. It has high level of calories which is essential to the human body. Guinea fowl is learner and drier than chicken meat. It also has low level of cholesterol as compared to chicken which is good for the body.
The hotels and restaurants cannot meet their demand for guinea fowls. The challenge faced by the hotels and restaurants is that they do not have farmers who supply them with processed guinea fowls.
The farmers after the production of the guinea fowls do not process them but only sell the life guinea fowl when there is the need for money. This approach by farmers does not go well with the hotels and restaurants because they to hire extra labour for the processing of the guinea fowls which leads them to incur additional cost and thus reduces their profit.
The project seeks to contribute to the reduction of poverty among 300 small holder guinea fowl farmers in the Upper East Region of Ghana.
Project activities are as followed:
- Identify the key actors in the guinea fowl market system for the production of guinea fowls (USD 300)
- Link the FBOs to the actors identified to acquire the needed input production of quality guinea fowls for the market (USD 200)
- Train farmers on how to produce quality guinea fowls to supply the guinea fowl processing center (USD 1,000)
- Purchase and install cooling system to preserve the processed guinea fowls (USD 2,000)
- Create awareness among individual consumers, hotels, restaurants and other institutions the availability of quality and healthy processed guinea fowl meat (USD 1,000)
- Monitoring the activities of the FBOs to ensure the adoption of the underlying principles regarding quality guinea fowl product (USD 500)
I have already organized the individual farmer into 20 separate groups called Farmer Based Organization (FBOs) who are numbering up to 300 guinea fowl farmers. I have a local processing center and have recently acquired a stall to set up a cooling system for preservation of the processed guinea fowls.
The success of the project will be measured in terms of the increase in the quantity and improved quality of guinea fowl supplied by farmers, increase in sale by the stall and the increase in income/profit by the stall and the guinea fowl farmers.
Blogpost and picture submitted by Albert Akafari Ayinpoya (Ghana): albertakafari[at]gmail.com
The content, structure and grammar are at the discretion of the author only.
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Good job
Kudos, great idea , great job
Albert, this is a very good project and you know reduction of poverty among small Holder farmers is very Paramount, plss the actors and the market must be look at seriously,
well noted samuel
Hello Albert, this is good project. I have been in upper East region of Ghana and I know this is quite lacking in the region. If you can concatenate on the cooling systems and mobilize farmers with a lot of marketing strategies then it should be sustainable, and can really push your business high
Thank you Peter. Your comment is well noted
Great idea! But Don’t forget of our women(gender) who play a key role in this value chain and what happens next, after the donor pulls out?I wish the best.
Thanks Hegelar. Over 40% of the beneficiaries of the project will be women. With the model the project is using, sustainability is not a problem. The capacities of the farmers will be built to produce quality guinea fowls with high market value for the processing center. Due the available market for the processed Guinea fowls, the center and stall will also make extra income. Once every actor in the value chain (e.g. farmers, processing center and stall) benefits all will be in business.
Hi Albert, taking an initiative in Guinea Fowl processing and marketing in the Upper East Region is a positive action towards improving the living conditions of the poor rural farmers in the region. Any support given to you to in this area will help improve on the poverty situation in the region.
That is true Urban. Thanks
It is a good plan for farmers in the region to produce more Guinea fowl to earn income.
Certainly Patrick.
Very good all the best
Hi Albert this is wonderful and sounds really sustainable. I encourage also you try and link up with the 2Scale Project of IFDC. They can be of good help to help you grow.
Pat, well noted
Bravo Albert, this is a great initiative because, it will create ready market for guinea fowl farmers and also create employment for the youth. As for guinea fowl consumers like some of us, it will be a great opportunity to get ready made guinea fowls to buy.
I promise to be your number one customer.
Thanks Comfort.
Albert, you have made a good planned and i know you have the capacity to execute this plan. We remember you in our prayer.Best wishes.
Thank You Joel
I couldn’t have liked any other project than one on guinea fowl.Working with women farmers,is a sure way to key them also into your project to assist the alleviate poverty in the Upper east region.
Thanks Linda. Much attention will be on women.
Is very good and I will edge you to go high
Thank You Priscilla
Great job Albert! You really need cooling systems to preserve the processed guinea fowls.
Thanks Gifty. the way forward is to get a cooling system
Albert, this is a wonderful idea .It is a good avenue to creating employment to support the poor living conditions of our rural farmers .Best wishes
Millicent thank you
excellent bro,, so young n innivative. brilliant job
Thank you Patrick
It is a good idea go higher all the best.
Alemiya thanks
value addition remains an untapped potential in the upper east region. Up to date, it is still common to find people selling life guinea fowls in the market and potential consumers will have to buy such a life bird to the house and prepare it for food. With lifestyle changes and people getting more and more busy, the need for a well processed guinea fowl birds ready for the cooking pot will continue to grow into the future. Thus, your project is timely and i hope that you will get the necessary support to execute it.
Good luck!
Thanks John for the inspiration
This is a good initiative with great employment potential. Thousands of farmers in northern Ghana are into guinea fowls rearing and will benefit immensely from this initiative. If this initiative is pursued, it will also contribute to poverty alleviation in Ghana especially in northern Ghana.
Thanks David
Great idea and I know you can do it.
Thank you Ngaaso
Great idea
Great initiative, Albert. We would support you where necessary. Go Go Albert.
Thank you Khadija
Good initiative my brother. Going into this project will definitely go a long way to improving the livelihood of our poor farmers.
Thanks bro
wow… Wonderful idea and a great initiative.
May God help you establish your dreams and aspirations.
Thank you Charlse
Very excellent good job God will countinue to bless u, keep it up
Thanks Bismark
Great work Albert keep it up God will see through this great initiative
Akabse thanks
This has great potential. All the best Albert!
This is a good proposal and needs all the support to help alleviate poverty in the region. However, the guinea fowl value chain should be strengthened to be able to achieved the desired results and impact. Keep it up.