ID :
171488
Tue, 03/29/2011 - 07:22
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/171488
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Farmers learn farming edible insects
VIENTIANE,MARCH (KPL)- The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations in collaboration with the Faculty of Agriculture is holding training on edible insect farming on 28-30 March 2011 at the Edible Insect Farming Demonstration Site of the National University of Laos’s Nabong Campus.
Twenty farmers coming from Vientiane Province receive practical and theoretical three-day training on how to breed cricket, palm weevil, mealworm and weaver ant.
During the course they will be trained for free on the breeding techniques, insect marketing and insect nutritional values.
The objective of this training is to disseminate new technical knowledge concerning edible insect farming so that farmers can improve their livelihoods by producing edible insects for personal consumption and income generation. At the end of the training, the farmers will be familiar with breeding formulas, breeding specificities and nutritional values of insects. In order to enable them to start their own edible insect breeding farm easily, all the farmers attending the training will obtain a kit that will include one breeding tank, feed (30 kg) and edible insect colonies.
A total of four training courses will be done in 2011, both at the demonstration site at the Faculty of Agriculture and in provinces. There will be another training for farmers and then two training of trainers; extension officers who will then disseminate their knowledge.
Trainings on insect farming are part of the activities planned in the framework of the project Sustainable Insect Farming and harvesting for better nutrition, improved security, and household income generation. The Edible Insect Farming Demonstration site is also a place where standard protocols and techniques for rearing edible insects are being developed.
“This first training of farmers on edible insect breeding is a very important step to demonstrate that the tradition of consuming insects could be practically used to develop sustainable and profitable techniques for small farmers in Laos,” said Serge Verniau, FAO representative.
The introduction of insect farming in Laos, along with the traditional collecting of insects from the wild, has been assessed as the most appropriate strategy for the project, which aims to improve food and nutrition security as well as to provide new income opportunities in the country.
Twenty farmers coming from Vientiane Province receive practical and theoretical three-day training on how to breed cricket, palm weevil, mealworm and weaver ant.
During the course they will be trained for free on the breeding techniques, insect marketing and insect nutritional values.
The objective of this training is to disseminate new technical knowledge concerning edible insect farming so that farmers can improve their livelihoods by producing edible insects for personal consumption and income generation. At the end of the training, the farmers will be familiar with breeding formulas, breeding specificities and nutritional values of insects. In order to enable them to start their own edible insect breeding farm easily, all the farmers attending the training will obtain a kit that will include one breeding tank, feed (30 kg) and edible insect colonies.
A total of four training courses will be done in 2011, both at the demonstration site at the Faculty of Agriculture and in provinces. There will be another training for farmers and then two training of trainers; extension officers who will then disseminate their knowledge.
Trainings on insect farming are part of the activities planned in the framework of the project Sustainable Insect Farming and harvesting for better nutrition, improved security, and household income generation. The Edible Insect Farming Demonstration site is also a place where standard protocols and techniques for rearing edible insects are being developed.
“This first training of farmers on edible insect breeding is a very important step to demonstrate that the tradition of consuming insects could be practically used to develop sustainable and profitable techniques for small farmers in Laos,” said Serge Verniau, FAO representative.
The introduction of insect farming in Laos, along with the traditional collecting of insects from the wild, has been assessed as the most appropriate strategy for the project, which aims to improve food and nutrition security as well as to provide new income opportunities in the country.
