Mr. Franklin Kennedy Kodzo Avornyo, PhD
Principal Research Scientist

Email:

Degrees: M. Sc. (London, UK), PhD. (Cambridge, UK), Dip. (Wageningen, Netherlands)

ACHIEVEMENTS

Awards and Recognitions
  • 2018: Certificate in Facilitating gender-responsive farmer-led innovation and research. Funded by Royal Tropical Institute (KIT), PROLINNOVA and FAO.

  • 2016: Mobility grant by the Research and Innovation Support for Europe and Africa (RINEA) project to attend a Matchmaking World Conference on Food Nutrition Security and Sustainable Agriculture in Denmark

  • 2013: Certificate in Super Champions for Change. Organized by Africa Lead in partnership with USAID Feed the Future

  • 2013: Certificate in Champions for Change Leadership Training Course organized by Africa Lead in partnership with USAID Feed the Future.

  • 2013: Certificate of appreciation by German Cooperation (GIZ) for fruitful cooperation on the Market-Oriented Agriculture and Agribusiness Programme (2007-2014)

  • 2012: Certificate in Intensification of integrated crop-livestock farming systems for sustainable increase in smallholder farm productivity organized by CSIR – Animal Research Institute in collaboration with International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) and International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and sponsored by USAID

  • 2012: Certificate in Climate change adaptation for sustainable livelihood practice organized by Canadian Hunger Fund (CHF)

  • 2011: Certificate of recognition for contributions as Head of Field Implementation Team (FIT), (2008-2011) Ghana Society of Animal Production – Canadian Society of Animal Science integrated crop-livestock production in northern Ghana

  • 2011: Certificate in Innovations Platforms Training Workshop organized by CSIR – Animal Research Institute in collaboration with International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI)

  • 2010: Certificate in Participatory Monitoring and Evaluation

  • 2009: Certificate of participation in the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research Golden Jubilee Anniversary’s Science, Technology and Innovation Competition

  • 2006: Certificate in Sustainable Livelihoods Approach to poverty reduction organized by Association of Development Projects (ACDEP) in partnership with CHF, Canada

  • 2003: Diploma in Professional Capacity Building Programme in Agricultural Research for Development organized by International Centre for Development-Oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA), Wageningen, The Netherlands

  • 2003: International Centre for Development Oriented Research in Agriculture (ICRA) full scholarship to attend professional capacity building programme on development-oriented research in agriculture, Wageningen, The Netherlands

  • 1999: Leadership Skills Course organized by Cambridge University Officers Training Centre, Cambridge University, UK, March 12 - 14, 1999. (Certificate)

  • 1999: Leadership Skills Course organized by Cambridge University Officers Training Centre, Cambridge University, UK, March 12 - 14, 1999. (Certificate)

  • 1997: Home Office Animals Act Course organized by Bioscientific Events Ltd and Cambridge University at Cambridge, UK, June, 1997 (Certificate).

  • 1997: Home Office Animals Act Course organized by Bioscientific Events Ltd and Cambridge University at Cambridge, UK, June, 1997 (Certificate).

  • 1996-1999: Cambridge Commonwealth Trust and Overseas Research Studentship for PhD programme at University of Cambridge

  • 1996: Fellow of Cambridge Commonwealth Society

  • 1996: Scholar of Selwyn College, University of Cambridge

  • 1994-1995: Recipient of the Overseas Development Shared Scholarship Scheme (ODASSS) for MSc. at Wye College, University of London

  • 1993-1994: Joint Ghana Government and Shell Scholarship for MPhil at the University of Ghana, Ghana

  • 1993: Recipient of a special prize given by Legon Hall of the University of Ghana for being a First-Class Student


    • Active Affiliations
  • Ghana Society of Animal Production
  • Ghana Animal Science Association
  • PROLINNOVA International Network

    • RESEARCH

    Research Interest
  • Facilitation of livestock value chain development.
  • Development of climate-smart livestock technologies and innovations.
  • Promotion of local innovations for livestock sector development.
  • Farming systems research.
  • Development and commercialization of livestock feed.
  • Increasing guinea fowl productivity.
  • Livestock feed utilization.
  • Animal traction management and animal behaviour studies.


    • Current Research
  • Ghana is a meat-deficit country and a net importer of livestock products. Despite the level of importation, meat consumption in Ghana is still far below FAO recommended level. There are many important functions in the value chain that do not appear to be the responsibility of any institution. For instance, who is responsible for the improvement of the technical, managerial and organizational capacities of actors. Assuming we want to empower women, who is responsible for increasing the participation of women and youth in the value chain?Nobody appears to be responsible for the overall management of the small ruminant value chain. Without somebody or an organization being in-charge of the value chain, can it function very well by itself for the sheep and goat sector to develop? Who will assist farmers to be organized and networked properly or get good-quality sheep and goats to rear? My research work has involved the identification of actors in the small ruminant value chain in northern Ghana, witnessing the small ruminant market to improve my understanding of the issues they encounter as far as their work is concerned and selecting the best actors to constitute innovation platforms to help address small ruminant issues. I also learn from other sources where they have better practice and share lessons in a bid to motivate actors and stakeholders in northern Ghana to address their constraints.

  • It has been reported that about half of the women (42%) and two-thirds of children (66%) in Ghana are anaemic. Without the consumption of adequate quantities of animal source of food, skills of undernourished children might be compromised for their entire life. Sustenance of ruminants in Ghana is, to a large extent dependent, on grazing of natural pastures with extreme seasonal variation in quantity and quality. Research has shown that supplementation of good-quality protein, minerals and energy-rich feeds positively interacts with ingested low-quality feedstuffs thereby having the potential of optimizing microbial fermentation of low-quality fibrous feeds in the rumen and increasing digestibility as well as ruminant productivity. Recent findings show that tree leaves can be more efficiently utilized as a low-cost CP and mineral supplement to the low-quality fibrous diets in the tropics. My research work under the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) using the Climate-Smart Village (CSV) models in Ghana has documented farmer perceptions of priority fodder species, their preference among livestock producers and their nutrient supply capabilities. As a result of the fact that goat has been identified as the food security animal under changing conditions of climate, I have interest in studying the goat value chain and pinpointing improvement options to enhance benefits to smallholder farmers particularly women, the youth and the vulnerable. I also make an effort in establishing multi-species fodder bank to demonstrate its value for climate-smart livestock production. The development of a multi-species fodder bank tends to concentrate prioritized species on the same plot of land alongside palatable, woody legumes, herbaceous legumes, high-yielding forage grasses and some food-feed crops to increase the opportunity for ensuring sustainable all-year-round fodder production and availability.

  • Animal diseases are a major constraint to the livelihoods of rural smallholder livestock farmers. In the face of limited access to veterinary services, the use of ethnoveterinary medicine is popular in the rural areas. However, the use of plant resources can have adverse environmental effects if not properly managed. There is growing public concern about the negative effects of using chemicals and this concern tends to favour the promotion of herbal medicine against orthodox medicine. African Swine Fever (ASF) appears to be now endemic in Ghana. However, diseases such as ASF need clinical confirmation. Farmers’ ethnoveterinary practices need validation and if proven efficacious, they should be standardized, commercialized and possibly scaled up with the recognition of the innovators. My interest here is to explore the most promising local remedies used by farmers to control pertinent livestock diseases by subjecting them to scientific validation through laboratory analyses, clinical trials and standardisation, assist in developing and commercialising validated medicines to promote their use and generate income for the producers, establish herbal gardens and conserve those in the wild to ensure sustainable supply of herbal plants and sustainable exploitation practices, help to establish and facilitate multi-stakeholder platforms at community, district and national level to bring vets, Ethno-veterinary medicine practitioners, extension officers, research scientists and farmers together to explore and begin to address constraints in health service provision in a concerted manner and also, strengthen international collaboration for joint research and technical support.

    • BRIEF PROFILE

    Dr. Franklin K. K. Avornyo is a Principal Research Scientist and head of the Nyankpala station of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research – Animal Research Institute (CSIR – ARI). He holds a B. Sc. degree in Agriculture (Animal Science option) from the University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana, M. Sc. in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of London and Ph. D in Ruminant Nutrition from the University of Cambridge, UK. He also holds a Diploma in Agricultural Research for Development from the Wageningen University. His area of expertise includes animal nutrition, farming systems research, sustainable agriculture, development- oriented research in agriculture, value- chain approach and animal production. He has teaching experience as a Physics master at Dzodze-Penyi Senior High school and a Teaching Assistant at the University of Ghana. His research activities have included facilitating the development of guinea fowl and small ruminant value chains and business clusters, developing climate-smart multi-species fodder bank, feed formulation, climate change and variability implications for fodder production and goat value chains, intensification of integrated farming systems, improving pig productivity, promoting local innovations, controlling guinea keet mortality, preference studies, growth studies, digestibility and degradability estimation, animal traction and animal behaviour studies. He supervises both undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University for Development Studies, Tamale and at the same time serves as external examiner at the same University. He has participated in a number of international conferences. Dr. Avornyo has also been a resource person for training in research and extension and attracted 34 separate funds through the submission of research proposals besides attraction of funding through consultancy. Some of the proposals have been on promotion of ethnoveterinary innovations, livestock value chain development, climate-smart livestock production, integrated farming systems, breed improvement, controlling keet mortality, animal traction and animal feeds and feeding. He has been a member of National steering committees, Food for Life Think-Tank and Project Core Management Teams. He has 35 publications as books, book chapters and refereed journal articles. He reviews for Agricultural and Food Science Journal of Ghana, Scientific African, Tropical Animal Health and Production, Animal Nutrition, Ghana Journal of Agricultural Science, Asian Journal of Biotechnology and Bio-resource Technology, Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development, Animal Feed Science and Technology, African Journal of Food Science and Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science. He has won a mobility grant offered by Research and Innovation Support for Europe and Africa (RINEA) project to attend a World Conference. He was given a Certificate of appreciation by German Development Cooperation (GIZ) for fruitful cooperation on Market-Oriented Agriculture and Agribusiness Programme and Certificate of recognition by a joint team of Ghana Society of Animal Production and Canadian Society of Animal Science for being the Head of the Field Implementation Team on an integrated crop-livestock systems project.

    PUBLICATIONS

    Books
    1. Avornyo, F. K. (2017). Smallholder helmeted guinea fowl production in the tropics. Smashwords edition. 47 pp. Available at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/688417

    Book Chapter
    1. Shaibu, M. T., Alhassan, S. I., Avornyo, F. K., Lawson, E. T., Mensah, A., Gordon, C. (2019). Perceptions and determinants of the adoption of indigenous strategies for adaptation to climate change: Evidence from smallholder livestock farmers in North-West Ghana. In: John K. M. Kuwornu (ed.), Climate change and Sub-Saharan Africa: The vulnerability and adaptation to food supply chain actors. ISBN 978-1-62273-265-4. First edition, January, 2019, pp. 223 - 240.

    Refereed Journal Papers
    1. Ahiagbe, K. M. J., Kayang, B. B., Naazie, A., Avornyo, F. K., Botchway, P. K. and Ali, S. Z. (2017). Non-invasive sex determination of guinea fowl keets (Numida meleagris) by polymerase chain reaction. Ghana Journal of Science; 57: 3-11.

    2. Avornyo, F., Karbo, N. and Addo-Kwafo, A. (2001). An assessment of the preference of Mucuna pruriens var cochinchinensis, Mucuna pruriens var utilis and Gliricidia sepium by sheep at Nyankpala in the moist Guinea Savanna Agroecology. Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa; 49: 300-302.

    3. Avornyo F. K. (2012). Comparison of in situ and Cornell methods of estimating rumen degradable protein of ruminant feedstuffs. Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa; 60: 327-334.

    4. Avornyo F. K. (2012). Comparison of procedures for estimating microbial contamination of feed residues from in situ bags in sheep. Bulletin of Animal Health and Production in Africa; 60: 319-326.

    5. Avornyo F. K. (2012). Comparison of three approaches of estimating protein b2 and b3 degradation rates in the rumen of sheep. Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research; 2(2): 166-173.

    6. Avornyo F. K. (2012). Prediction of corrected in situ forage protein degradability by the Cornell method. Online Journal of Animal and Feed Research; 2(2): 149-154.

    7. Avornyo, F. K., Aidoo, J. T., Weobong, C. and Salifu, S. (2010). Estimation of herbage yields of two Digitaria exilis (stapf) cultivars and preference of their hay by sheep. Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science; 5(2): 17-23.

    8. Avornyo, F. K., Ayantunde, A., Shaibu, M. T., Konlan ,S. P., Karbo, N. (2015). Effect of feed and health packages on the performance of village small ruminants in northern Ghana. International Journal of Livestock Research; 5(7): 91-98.

    9. Avornyo, F. K., Bruce, J. and Addo-Kwafo, A. (2002). Response of grower-finisher pigs to pito mash diets in northern Ghana. Development Spectrum; 2: 20–29.

    10. Avornyo, F. K., Karbo, N. and Addo-Kwafo, A. (2007). The performance of sheep fed fonio or rice straw in combination with two levels of whole cottonseed. Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science; 2 & 3(1): 89–96.

    11. Avornyo, F. K., Karbo, N., Alenyorege, B. and Munkaila, L. (2016). The effect of a locally produced mineral lick on the performance of growing West African Dwarf Sheep. Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development; 4(2): 47-55.

    12. Avornyo, F. K., Leaver, J. D. and Wood, C. D. (2010). The use of the gas production technique in determining interactions between ruminant feed mixtures. Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science; 5(1): 31-36.

    13. Avornyo, F. K., Munkaila, L., Allegye-Cudjoe, E., Karbo, N. and Atosona, B. S. (2015). A comparison of six treatments for controlling mortality of keets in the wet season of the Northern Region of Ghana. Ghana Journal of Science; 55(1): 15-25

    14. Avornyo, F. K., Partey S. T., Zougmore R, B., Asare, S., Agbolosu, A. A., Akufo N. M., Sowah, N. A. and Konlan, S. P. (2020). Correction to: In vivo digestibility of six selected fodder species by goats in northern Ghana. Tropical Animal Health and Production; 52, 481. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-020-02198-6

    15. Avornyo, F. K., Salifu, S., Moomen, A and Agbolosu AA (2013). Effect of dietary protein on the performance of local guinea keets in the Northern Region of Ghana. Greener Journal of Agricultural Sciences; 3(7): 585-591.

    16. Avornyo, F. K., Salifu, S., Panyan, E. K., Al-Hassan, B. I., Ahiagbe, M. and Yeboah, F. (2016). Characteristics of guinea fowl production systems in northern Ghana. A baseline study of 20 districts in northern Ghana. Livestock Research for Rural Development; 28(134):. http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd28/8/avor28134.html

    17. Avornyo, F. K., Teye, G. A., Bukari, D., Salifu, S. (2015). Contribution of donkeys to household food security: a case study in the Bawku Municipality of the Upper East Region of Ghana. Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development; 3(1): 15-24.

    18. Avornyo, F. K., Zougmore R, Partey S and Tengan K (2018). Candidate fodder trees and shrubs for sustainable ruminant production in northern Ghana. Livestock Research for Rural Development; 30 (154). http://www.lrrd.org/lrrd30/9/favor30154.html

    19. Bright K. D. Tetteh, Isaac G. K. Ansah, Samuel A. Donkoh, Mark Appiah-Twumasi, Franklin K. Avornyo, Mohammed T. Shaibu, Samuel Partey, Robert B. Zougmore, Kevin Tengan, Anslem Nyuor, Eric Afosah & Naana M. Akufo (2019) Perceptions of weather variability and climate change on goat producers’ choice of coping and adaptation strategies: evidence from climate-smart and non-climate-smart villages in the Jirapa and Lawra districts, Climate and Development; DOI: 10.1080/17565529.2019.1664975

    20. Canacoo, E. A, Avornyo, F. K. (1998). Daytime activities of donkeys at range in the coastal savanna of Ghana. Applied Animal Behaviour Science; 60(2): 229-234.

    21. Clottey, V. A., Avornyo, F., Addo-Kwafo, A. and Agyare, W. A. (2006). The potential of fonio (Digitaria exilis, Stapf) as feed for monogastrics. Livestock Research for Rural Development; 18: 7.

    22. Clottey, V. A., Gyasi, K. O., Yeboah, R. N. Addo-Kwafo, A. and Avornyo, F. (2007). The small ruminant production system in northern Ghana: A value network analysis. Livestock Research for Rural Development; 19: 167.

    23. Dei, H. K., Amewonye, M., Getse, F., Mbimadong, J., Alenyorege, B., Sarpong P., Avornyo F. and Karbo, N. (2013). Effect of replacing maize with processed false yam tuber meals on growth performance of the Ashanti Black pig. Ghanaian Journal of Animal Science 7(2): 59–64.

    24. Karbo, N., Avornyo, F., Addo-Kwafo, A. and Bruce, J. (2002). Preference study of untreated and urea-treated fonio and rice straws with sheep in the moist Guinea Savanna zone. Ghana Journal of Science 42: 41-48.

    25. Kizito, F., Panyan, E. K., Ayantunde, A., Bossio, I. D., Karbo, N, Avornyo, F. K. and Tengan, K. (2014). Water balance dynamics in mixed crop-livestock systems of northern Ghana: unravelling the interactions between farm-level and landscape fluxes in the face of climate change. American Journal of Climate Change; 3: 289–305.

    26. Konlan, S. P. and Avornyo, F. K. (2013). The effect of wetland on guinea fowl (Numida meleagris) egg productivity and fertility during the dry season in the Guinea Savanna Ecological Zone of Ghana. Sky Journal of Agricultural Research; 2(9): 126–131.

    27. Konlan, S. P., Avornyo, F. K., Karbo, N. and Sulleyman, A. (2011). Increasing guinea fowl eggs availability and hatchability in the dry season. Journal of World’s Poultry Research; 1(1): 1-3.

    28. Konlan, S. P., Ayantunde, A. A., Addah, W., Dei, H. K. and Avornyo F. K. (2016). Evaluation of feed resource availability for ruminant production in northern Ghana. International Journal of Livestock Research; 6 (6), 39-59. doi:10.5455/ijlr.20160613094759.

    29. Konlan, S., Ayantunde, A., Addah, W., Dei, H., Karbo, N. and Avornyo, F. (2020). Effect of concentrate supplementation and season on apparent digestibility and growth performance of sheep in smallholder production system. Ghana Journal of Science, Technology and Development; 6(2), 1-18.

    30. Panyan, E. K., Karbo, N., Avornyo, F. K., Ayantunde, A., Kizito, F. and Tengan, K. (2015). Rainwater management and soil improvement techniques in maize-soybean intercrop. African Journal of Applied Research 2(2): 6-18

    31. Salifu, S., Avornyo, F. K., Panyan, E. K. and Hagan, B. A (2018). Influence of season of lambing on postpartum interval to ovarian activity in Djallonke ewes. International Journal of Livestock Research, 8(8), 50-61

    32. Salifu, S., Osei, S. A., Hagan, B. A., Allegye-Cudjoe, E. and Avornyo, F. K. (2018). Assessing the age of puberty of Djallonke gimmers born in rainy or dry season using progesterone measurements. Livestock Research for Rural Developmen;. 30, (205):

    33. Shaibu, M. T., Alhassan, S. I., Panyan, E. K., Avornyo, F. K., Konlan, S. P. and Salifu, S. (2018). An Assessment of Institutional Importance of Climate Change Adaptation in the Volta River Basin of Northern Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 26(SI), 27 - 40

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