VISIT FROM OUR WEST AFRICAN POULTRY SCIENCE PARTNER CERSA

VISIT FROM OUR WEST AFRICAN POULTRY SCIENCE PARTNER CERSA

UPDATES ON NEW DEVELOPMENTS

CERSA is a World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence for poultry science, established in 2014 in Lomé, Togo, with the main objectives to develop and promote West Africa poultry sector via research and training programs (master’s, PhD and various short courses). Orffa has been a partner of CERSA for a long time and holds the position of chair of industrial advisory board of CERSA since several years. This collaboration has led to the participation to many topics and events over the years:

• 9 in ovo and in vivo trials, including 3 ongoing trials
• 3 symposiums in 2017, 2019 and 2023 at the Pan-African Poultry Conference
• 4 abstracts, 2 posters and 1 peer-reviewed paper
• Popular articles

In order to further strengthen the collaboration and build new perspectives, Dr. Batawui (Special Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture of Togo), Prof. Adame Mawulé Kpodar (President of the University of Lomé), Prof. Kokou Tona (Director of CERSA) and Prof. Karou (R&D Director of CERSA) visited the headquarters of Orffa on the 20th of March 2024.

This meeting was a great opportunity to exchange updates on the current projects with CERSA, and to understand the 5 year project of the government of Togo to promote the poultry sector and food self-suffi ciency. The partnership between CERSA and Orffa can therefore offer concrete benefi ts for the poultry industry by strengthening productivity and animal health.

CERSA has high level equipment and can execute fundamental research that provides proof of principle insights. Next to that the collaboration allows Orffa to develop data with relevant poultry breeds, climate zone and management practices which are common in West African region. The presence of Dr. Batawui (Special Advisor to the Minister of Agriculture of Togo) and Prof.
Adame Mawulé Kpodar (President of the University of Lomé) showed the strong commitment of the Minister and the University of Lomé to promote such collaboration and developments.