UKZN Academics Feature at Poultry Knowledge Sharing Session

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Four UKZN academics presented details of their research work and investigations into various aspects of capacity building for farmers and professionals in the field of agriculture during a three-day poultry knowledge sharing session at Cedara.

The four academics were Professor Michael Chimonyo, Professor Ignatius Nsahlai, Dr Joyce Chitja and Dr Unathi Kolanisi of the School of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences (SAEES).

Representing the Disciplines of Animal Science and Food Security, the academics, who were joined by their postgraduate students, were responsible for some of the facilitation of sessions during the event which focused on poultry production and used the interdisciplinary perspectives of the academics to encourage discussion around solutions to food insecurity.

The discussions included deliberations on the challenge of vitamin deficiencies caused by poor nutrition, and creatively explored the unexpected ways in which poultry production could contribute to alleviating this issue.

Organised by the Further Education and Training (FET) College in Cedara, the event included participants from UKZN, FET Colleges, government Departments of Agriculture and Education, research institutions and non-governmental organisations as well as local farmers.

Chimonyo facilitated a discussion on: “Poultry Production Systems and their Contribution to Socio-economic Livelihoods”; while Chitja spoke about market access.

Kolanisi presented a research-based paper she co-authored with Dr Muthulisi Siwela titled: “Indigenous Chickens (ICs) - An Underutilised Resource for Food, Nutrition Security and Sustainable Livelihoods”.

Issues raised in the presentations have important implications not only for food security, but also for the livelihoods of small-scale farmers.

Food Security students also had the opportunity to contribute by sharing their knowledge with those at the session. They presented on one of the proposed interventions to maximise the utilisation of Indigenous Chickens (ICs), which they are currently researching on under the theme: “How Indigenous Chickens (ICs) could deliver Provitamin A from Biofortified Yellow maize to improve Food and Nutrition Security Subsequently Enhancing Rural Livelihood Options”.

Another aspect the group chose to focus on was the nutritional issue of vitamin A deficiency (VAD). According to the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC), two out of five children under the age of five in South Africa are affected by VAD. Statistics like these inform and inspire the work of the students studying in the Discipline of Food Security as they work towards using science to combat these issues.

The students demonstrated solutions to these kinds of multifaceted food security challenges through their diverse presentations. PhD student Feyisayo Odunitan-Wayas, presented on: “Vitamin A biofortified Indigenous Chicken Meat to Improve Food and Nutrition Security”; followed by Master’s student Ghirmay Zeina who presented on: “The Nutritional Quality of Eggs obtained from Indigenous Chickens fed on Provitamin A-biofortified Maize”.

Masters student Sthandiwe Khoza presented her findings on: “The Potential of Egg Powder as an Interface of Indigenous Knowledge-based Drying Technology to Improve Food Security”.

Kolanisi then facilitated a brainstorming session to exchange knowledge, experiences and challenges that hinder the significant contribution of ICs to the household and national economy.

The outcomes of the discussion highlighted a need for a paradigm shift to maximise the utilisation of ICs in wealth creation, enhancement of food and nutritional security of the resource-poor households. Furthermore, collaborative opportunities between tertiary institutions, government and the community to build the capacity of farmers and professionals in the poultry industry were deliberated.

In the closing remarks, Nsahlai alluded to the supreme quality of the egg for its contribution of protein and vitamin A and identified future avenues for research into the use of this kind of nutritional resource to contribute to food security, socio-economic stability for small-scale farmers and overall health in the relevant communities.

Christine Cuénod and Unathi Kolanisi