Promoting Sustainable Agriculture Practices: IITA and BNARI jointly trained the Ghana Prisons Service on the BSF Technology.

The Black Soldier Fly Production Unit, established in Kofisah hosted a training for over fifteen (15) officers of Ghana Prisons Service (GP) on the Black Soldier Fly technology from 15th to 18th July, 2025.

Jointly organized by the IITA-led BSF for Bio circular Economy and Environmental Sustainability (BBEST) project and the Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute (BNARI), this training was in line with:

• one of the project’s objectives to build capacities and BSF technology know-how of youth agripreneurs and other stakeholders
  

• and the Ghana Prisons agricultural agenda to reduce the cost of feed for their poultry and pig farms.
• The day one of the training unfolded with the theoretical aspect of the BSF Technology. Participants were introduced to the black soldier fly and its benefits. The facilitators emphasized on the housing, the farm management and the mass production of the BSF. Dr Ofori, an Entomologist from BNARI highlighted other areas such as the life stages of the fly, its uniqueness, the biology of the eggs and the larvae and how the BSF fits into a circular economy. These laid the ground for the practical session, where participants participated in the rearing and feeding of the larvae.

Under the practical session, participants were taken through setting up of traps for the eggs from the wild, the egg incubation and the transfer of the neonate larvae. The training also highlighted the harvesting and the processing of the larvae and the process of degutting the larvae.

Another highlight of the training was the emphasis on the seed germination to test the maturity of the frass after composting. This aspect of the training was led by Mr Sintim, Chief technologist and Soil Scientist at BNARI.

Participants were awarded with a certificate of completion after completing the three-day training on the BSF technology. Present at the certificate presentation was the Director of Prisons Service In- Charge of Agric, Mr Kweku Ababio Ali, who expressed his gratitude to the IITA and BNARI team for their support.