April 7, 2023 (SEBETA, Ethiopia): The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) yesterday wrapped-up the Training of Trainers (ToT) for Fish Post-Harvest Loss Handling, Quality Control and Marketingat Sebeta National Fisheries Research Center in Ethiopia.
The four-day regional Training of Trainers (ToT) brought together fisheries experts from Ethiopia, Kenya and South Sudan as well as fishing communities representatives from Lake Turkana and Baro-Akobo-Sobat Basins.
The main objective of the ToT was to train on improved traditional fish preservation methods, handling of fish hygiene, value addition and marketing in both basins.
Speaking at the opening session, the IGAD Programme Manager for Environment and Protection, Dr. Eshete Dejen highlighted that the promotion of sustainable small-scale fisheries was “constrained by several factors, such as: lack of attention by policy makers, lack of appropriate and efficient fishing equipment, high post-harvest loss, difficult access to markets and lack of promotion of fish as an excellent source of animal proteins”.
“In the coming four days, we will have a practical training on post-harvest lost management in this National Fisheries Research Center of Ethiopia where research activities are coordinated at country level”.
The Training of Trainers (ToT) focused on Fish Post-Harvest Loss Handling, Quality Control and Marketing. Trainers demonstrated fish handling techniques in the field (clean fish, clean person, and clean equipment), Practical exercises on fish preservation through salting, smocking and deep freezing were conducted in the laboratory. Practical exercises were also demonstrated on fish product value addition through packaging, branding, and labelling.
Theoretical discussions focused on elements of marketing fish products which included: sorting, storing, grading, labelling, transportation, advertisement, and selling and buying.
As the training closed, the strengths and gaps of the Training of Trainers were identified and below bullet points were identified as a way forward:
- project concept note for Post-Harvest management will be developed by the team from the three countries;
- Cascading the Training of Trainers to the grassroots; and
- Establishment of links among the working national teams in the three countries.
The Training of Trainers was held with financial support from European Union through Ecofish Programme.
