The training formed part of the FAO's Farmer Field School (FFS) project, being implemented in collaboration with the Veterinary Services Department, and sought to equip the beneficiary farmers with the necessary knowledge on production cycle, proper biosecurity, and safety practices, and how to avoid giving antibiotics to broilers in the production cycles.

Thirty farmers each from the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and Effia-Kwesimintsim Municipality, went through the eight- week intensive training to broaden their understanding against the use of antimicrobials in broiler production.

Mr Bright Adu-Mensah, Facilitator of the FOA FFS, speaking to the Ghana News Agency, said the whole idea of the FFS was anchored on behavioural change and attitudes on sustainable practices among broiler poultry farmers to help check the effective use of antimicrobials.

He said: "We did a demonstration where two different chicks were selected for testing. Within the eight-week period, the farmers realised that the one that was not given antibiotics outweighed the other one that was given antibiotics."

He said the FAO believed that when the farmers strictly adhered to the biosecurity and good hygiene practices, they would not need to incur extra costs on antibiotics for their chicks.

"This is what the FAO is trying to do, to change the farmers' behaviour and attitudes towards the prudent use of anti- microbials because the antimicrobials not only have effects on the chicks, but also on us humans that consume the meat, and the environment," he added.

Mr Daniel Lamptey, Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Environmental Health Officer, said the poultry industry contributed to global warming, and that any action that promoted the use of organic materials for production must be encouraged.
He stated that poultry farming required strict adherence to environmental laws and encouraged the farmers to put the knowledge acquired to beneficial use to help reduce the impact of their work on the environment.

Mr Francis Nsiah, Western Regional Vice Chair of the Poultry Farmers Association, commended the FAO for the intervention, and said the knowledge acquired would help the farmers to cut down the costs on purchasing antibiotics.
He said: "Our work involves a lot of money to buy feed and drugs among other production materials, so we are happy that this training will help us to take away the cost of purchasing drugs for our chicks."

Madam Augustina Koomson, one of the beneficiaries, expressed gratitude to FAO for training them on sustainable practices, saying it would go a long way to help them improve upon their production while reducing costs.

"The school has been helpful because we used to give antibiotics to our birds just any how, but now we have been taught different ways of doing things, which I think will help us a lot," she stated.