YAP, FSM. Steven Young-Uhk, Coordinator, Cooperative Research and Extension.
Yap CRE conducted a three-day workshop on chicken farming between August 3 and 5. Twenty-seven participants including extension agents, agriculture professionals, farmers, men and women attended the workshop. On the first day, participants learned about best practices on caring for a day-old chicks, feeding and caring of pullets, and laying hens. Additionally, Yap Small Business Development Center made a presentation and held discussions on the cost/benefit analysis of raising chickens for eggs in Yap. On the second day, hands-on training on local feed processing for laying hens was provided. The 3rd day of the workshop was devoted to field trip in which participants were introduced to several family chicken farms, giving them firsthand information about the layout, housing designs, types of waterers and feeders, litter materials, and different ways for nesting and roosting.
The second workshop on food processing was conducted from August 16 to 18. Altogether 44 participants including extension staffs, agriculture professionals, school teachers, business owners, food processors and farmers attended this workshop. This three-day event exposed participants to method of processing breadfruit into flour, local method of preserving breadfruit through fermentation called mar, and uses of flour in several recipes. Several products made from breadfruit flour, taro flour and banana flour were on display. Information on breadfruit including propagation methods, uses and value-addition, marketing, and nutritional and health benefits were also presented.
The Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (WSARE) through the College of Micronesia-Land Grant Program supported these workshops.