In its strategy, the 2SCALE programme intends to have an impact on the poultry sector through actions undertaken in collaboration with value chain actors. The latter have noted the lack of poultry health care providers in the Pô area. The introduction of KORAVET, a veterinary practice, within the poultry partnership, is intended as a means of supporting the actors in the identification of recurrent poultry diseases, farm monitoring, feeding, advisory support and many other issues relating to poultry health. This support took the form of a training course held from 28 November to 8 December 2022 in Pô with the aim of strengthening the capacities of ten (10) livestock technicians on specific poultry issues. For the trainer, Mr. Jacques Korapiou ADAH, head of the KORAVET structure, "the technician is an essential service provider in the value chain if, and only if, he or she responds effectively to the expectations of producers in terms of advisory support. In many cases, this remains a shortfall, as Firmin Yoda, a livestock technician in Pô, told us: 'the training of livestock technicians is very general, which does not allow them to take a great interest in poultry farming, due to the lack of knowledge about the poultry sector'. Assièta GUIGMA, a livestock technician, agreed: "The training of technical agents remains vague insofar as it covers the study of several sectors.
The training on capacity building of livestock technicians will contribute to strengthening the skills of livestock technicians living in Po on specific poultry issues, said Mr. Jacques Korapiou ADAH. The modules taught during this training were done by prioritizing a theoretical and practical approach through an introduction to poultry farming in general (recurrent diseases, feeding, marketing, etc.), work groups and field trips (visits to farms, vaccination, the practice of autopsy in case of disease, discussion sessions with farm promoters, etc.).
In the opinion of Firmin YODA:
The practice of autopsy in case of disease has been both stimulating and enriching, and fills a gap after two (02) years of training as a livestock technician.
At the end of this training, the concern of producers and promoters regarding the support of their farms seems to have been put to rest. Indeed, for Flore Hien and the other technicians who benefited from the training: "In the Pô area, producers complain that they have no support. With the knowledge acquired throughout the training, we are able to overcome the shortcomings in poultry health services in the Pô area. To do this, Mr. Jacques Korapiou ADAH, head of KORAVET, urged them to be very proactive, to develop innovative approaches and to seize all opportunities in this regard.
The majority of the trained technicians, enriched by the new knowledge they have acquired, have not failed to develop projects in the poultry sector. They see this as a gateway to entrepreneurship, especially since specialisation does not exist in their basic training. In this regard, Flore Hien, a livestock technician, said that "in the past, I set up a poultry farm project. I acquired boxes of chicks, with a total of 150 chicks. In less than three months, I had only 07 chicks. Through this training, I will be able to resume this project in the best possible way. As for Firmin Yoda, he has always felt a lack of interest or even indifference for the poultry industry.
However, at the end of the training course, he says: