Cricket farming can have a positive impact on rural development and rural economy in low- and middle-income countries. Moreover, crickets have the potential to address food and nutrition insecurity and promote food sovereignty through the promotion of local production and consumption. This paper presents and discusses five complementary studies conducted in Thailand, Cambodia, Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Kenya. Cricket farming is being promoted in these countries under research projects, public-private partnerships, NGOs and international organisations. In the majority of the countries, cricket farming is still in its infancy and research into how to improve cricket farming systems is still on-going. Cricket farming in Cambodia, Lao PDR, DRC and Kenya remains relatively limited, and many farmers are still a part of pilot projects. In each of the five regions, different cricket species have been a part of traditional diets. As discussed in this paper, many of the potential benefits of the production and consumption of crickets have not yet been realised in many cases due to: (1) lack of adequate support and awareness from stakeholders (especially government agencies); (2) unknown trade volumes; (3) high costs of inputs; and (4) cultural taboos. The information presented in this paper will be especially useful to stakeholders from governmental institutions, non-governmental organisations, civil society organisations and research institutions.
The quality of domesticated crickets depends on the choice of feed substrate that has a direct impact on the economic viability of the farming operation. This study assessed the popular local cricket feeds in the Lake Victoria region. Data were collected through individual interviews, focus group discussions, personal observations, and growth experiments. Kales, sweet potato leaves, ugali, and banana peels were the most preferred by the farmers. Crickets fed on kales and sweet potatoes had a significantly higher weight gain and maturity rate than those fed on ugali and banana peels (p < .05). Additionally, crickets fed on kales and sweet potatoes had higher (82.4% and 78.6%, respectively) crude proteins compared to those fed on ugali (57.9%) and banana peels (62.9%). Kales and sweet potatoes can serve as cheaper, alternative local feeds for cricket farming. Empowerment of farmers through subsidies or provision of loans can enhance local cricket feed production.
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