A GNA Feature by Albert Futukpor
Nyankpala (N/R), Oct 23, GNA – What started with used cooking-oil cans, kitchen scraps and a desire to reduce the cost of feeding catfish has grown into a promising Black Soldier Fly (BSF) farming enterprise capable of processing up to 1,800 kilogrammes of organic waste.
For Eva Samuel Mshelia, Founder of Versatile Farms, located at Nyankpala in the Tolon District of the Northern Region, the journey began in 2024 when she started looking for affordable ways to supplement feed for her catfish.
She said “I started rearing BSF to supplement my catfish feed. I had read that feed takes a lot of the cost of fish production and reduces profit. So, I wanted a low-cost but high-quality feed option.”
With no previous experience in insect farming, Mshelia relied largely on research conducted with her phone and began experimenting within a week.
Her first attempt was modest. She used discarded oil cans from her kitchen and food scraps from her household starting with approximately one kilogramme of BSF larvae.
What began as an effort to reduce feed costs soon revealed other possibilities.
She said “As I started, I realised that it was also a great method of waste management and could generate income.”
From a small experiment to a farm
Mshelia’s early experience was not without challenges.
One of her biggest difficulties was obtaining enough organic waste to feed the larvae, which she described as “voracious feeders.”
Over time, she learned the importance of properly processing the waste before feeding it to the larvae, a lesson she said made subsequent harvesting and management much easier.
She currently feeds the larvae with food waste, poultry and pig manure as well as supplementary materials such as wheat and rice bran.
The waste is sourced from her home, eateries around the UDS Nyankpala campus, poultry farms and pig farms.
Her work received a significant boost after Prof Emmanuel Delwin Abarike, Associate Professor, Department of Aquaculture and Fisheries Sciences, Faculty of Bioscience, University for Development Studies (UDS), who heard about her activities, visited her home and introduced her to the Incitis Food Living Lab at the UDS, Nyankpala Campus.
The UDS Incitis Food Living Lab is being run by Professor Michael Ayamga, Professor Isaac Ansah and Professor Emmanuel Delwin Abarike as part of the “incitis food project” being sponsored by the European Union.
She subsequently became an onboarded member of the Living Lab and participated in its activities.
When the Living Lab opened its annual innovation competition (incitis food, 2nd open call for independent innovators, applications were open from December, 2025 to February, 2026), Mshelia applied and emerged as the third-place winner providing support that enabled her to expand her operation.
The current BSF facility, which together with its equipment and stock, cost approximately GH¢15,000, consists of mud bricks and cement for the lower walls, with wood, netting and roofing sheets completing the structure.
A harvest that changed her outlook
The results of her latest production cycle have strengthened her confidence in the enterprise.
In September, 2026 Mshelia stocked the new facility with approximately five grammes of BSF eggs.
Just 16 days later, on October 03, she harvested approximately 35 kilogrammes of fresh larvae.
She said “I expected less but they weighed more because I got big larvae sizes.”
The larvae measured roughly three-quarters of an inch to one inch in length with some reaching about a quarter of an inch in width.
For Mshelia, the harvest was more than just a quantity of insects.
She said “I was very fulfilled and very hopeful. It made me see how my efforts paid off.”
The first production cycle also demonstrated the capacity of the new facility. While the initial batch processed about 150 kilogrammes of waste, she estimates that the current structure can support approximately 1,800 kilogrammes, with additional room for expansion.
The larvae are currently processed into dried larvae and BSF meal for easier storage and transportation with potential applications in feeding fish, poultry and pigs. Mshelia is also researching their potential use in feeding rabbits and dogs.
Closing the production cycle
Unlike conventional livestock production, the farm also produces its own future breeding stock.
Approximately 30 per cent of the larvae from the latest harvest were deliberately left to pupate and develop into adult BSF.
These will provide eggs for the next production cycle reducing the need to continually source new eggs.
The remaining material, known as frass, is another useful by-product of the operation and can potentially be used as an organic soil amendment.
For Mshelia, one of the most important lessons from the latest cycle has been the need to observe the insects closely rather than simply follow production timelines found online.
She said “Research says around 20 days but it can start as early as 14 days depending on temperature and feeding. I have learned the significance of observation and daily checks and the need to observe for yourself and not rely only on the numbers the internet provides.”
A business with bigger ambitions
Mshelia now sees Versatile Farms as more than a personal project to reduce fish-feed costs.
She believes BSF farming can provide opportunities for income generation while helping households and businesses convert organic waste into useful agricultural inputs.
For her, the latest harvest represents the beginning rather than the end.
She said “It is the start of something big, something that I can encourage people to get into.”
From a few used oil cans and household food scraps in 2024 to a structured facility capable of processing nearly two tonnes of waste, Mshelia’s journey demonstrates how a simple search for a cheaper feed alternative can evolve into an agricultural enterprise with potential benefits for livestock production, waste management and livelihoods.
And with the next generation of BSF already being produced on the farm, Versatile Farms is preparing its next cycle; this time using eggs produced from its own stock.
GNA
Edited by Eric K. Amoh/Kenneth Odeng Adade
Reporter: Albert Futukpor
Email: [email protected]