Report of success and challenges of farming Rhynchophorus phenicis F. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Ghana

Abstract The consumption of Rhynchophorus phoenicis larvae is highly practiced in Ghana. However, due to the lack of availability of the larvae, consumers depend heavily on the wild collectors as the only source of the larvae, rather than going to a farm gate or market place to purchase them. Given this situation, our study sought to report the success and challenges encountered by participants in the HEALTHYNSECT intervention conducted in Ghana. Primary data was collected using a cross-sectional survey that randomly targeted 600 R. phoenicis farmers in a face-to-face interview from 66 villages in the rural areas of Bono, Ahafo, and the Ashanti regions of Ghana. The results showed that 75% of the participants farmed the larvae in all regions. As part of the success recorded in all regions, the majority (61.6%) of the participants harvested a little above 500 g of larvae while 87.5 % completed one production cycle during the intervention period. Participants innovatively proposed solutions to manage challenges such as poor colony, palm larvae housing constraints, environmental conditions, and others that were confronting R. phoenicis farmers in Ghana. The production of R. phoenicis larvae in Ghana may be used as a supplement or total replacement for fish or meat used in household diets, especially in rural areas. To maximize the consumption of R. phoenicis larvae, initiatives that aimed at promoting the consumption and production of the larvae should be encouraged.