Agri National

KNUST to Produce ‘Akorkono’ On Large Scale

The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is embarking on a fight against protein deficiency in Ghana by using Palm Weevil Larvae, locally known as ‘Akorkono’.

The University has received $1 million from the Bill Clinton Foundation and 112,000 Canadian dollars from the Grand Challenges Canada Foundation to start the project.

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Kwasi Obiri-Danso announced this during the 2016 founders’ day special Congregation in Kumasi.

These palm larvae, a delicacy in some rural parts of Ghana, grow in dead palm trees.

“Akorkono is one of the edible insects and it’s delicacy in the forest zones of Ghana,” he said. The project will breed them on a large scale to serve as the main protein ingredient in the rural diet. It’s part of a fight against protein malnutrition in developing countries like Ghana using insects.

“In what is known as Akorkono or palm larvae project we have 1 million dollars from the bill Clinton foundation and 112 , 000 dollars from the grand challenge foundation and is this was to find a quicker and efficient means of solving protein malnutrition in the developing countries,” says Prof Obiri-Danso.

KNUST and Aspire Food Group are promoting this initiative in Ghana under the name, Palm Larvae project.

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