ING DR. SHADRACK KWADWO AMPONSAH WINS AQUACULTURE RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR AWARD

A Senior Research Scientist of the CSIR-Crops Research Institute (CSIR-CRI), Ing. Dr.  Shadrack Kwadwo Amponsah, has received the “Aquaculture Researcher of the Year” award for 2022 at an awards and dinner event organized by the Chamber of Aquaculture Ghana on 27th April, 2023, under the theme” Fostering stakeholder collaborations for a  sustainable aquaculture industry”. The ceremony recognized individuals and organizations who have made and are still making a difference to the National Aquaculture Industry.

Dr. Amponsah also received the “Aquaculture Sustainability Award” as well as the “Aquaculture Innovation Technology Award” for his contributions to the sector through Wontesty Ventures. Wontesty Ventures is a Ghanaian agribusiness startup that specializes in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of aquaculture production/holding facilities, with a focus on recirculating aquaculture (RAS) and lined ponds.

Wontesty Ventures is a Ghanaian agribusiness startup that specializes in the planning, design, construction and maintenance of aqualculture production/holding facilities, with a focus on recirculating aquaculture (RAS) and lined ponds.

The “Aquaculture Researcher of the year” is awarded to recognize individuals who have carried out scientific researches on aquaculture through experimental studies. Additionally, the “Aquaculture Innovation Technology” award is awarded to recognize individuals and organizations finding new solutions to key challenges facing aquaculture while the “Aquaculture Sustainability” is awarded to a developer of aquaculture  practice that has made a significant and positive contribution to aquaculture economic sustainability – be it improving aquaculture performance, creating jobs and enhancing the efficiency of aquaculture as a whole.

Profile of Ing. Dr. Shadrack Kwadwo Amponsah

Ing. Dr. Shadrack Kwadwo Amponsah holds a Ph.D. in Agricultural Machinery Engineering from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology-where he had earlier on graduated with an M.Sc. in Agricultural Machinery Engineering and a B.Sc. in Agricultural Engineering.

Dr. Amponsah has varied research interests such as the evaluation of agricultural machinery and equipment, farm structures and machinery/equipment fabrication and currently enrolled as a research scientist at the CSIR-Crops Research Institute.


He was a research and teaching assistant during his national service at the School of Agriculture, University of Cape Coast. He was also an Assistant Field Engineer for the West African Agricultural Productivity Program (WAAPP) Project on demonstration and popularization of mechanical cassava harvesting.

In 2018, he won the “Most Published Author in Engineering” award at the Engineers Excellence Awards (EEA) organized by the Ghana Institute of Engineering.

He was a Linnaeus-Palme Exchange Programme student at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) Uppsala, Sweden during his M.Sc. programme in 2010. He also successfully completed a 3-month research fellowship under the CV Raman Fellowship for African researchers at the Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, India in 2013.
Dr. Amponsah has a good number of peer reviewed publications in both local and international journals. He has travelled extensively, conducted research in various centres and attended numerous conferences and workshops.
He has a good knowledge and experience in project management and writing of research proposals for funding.

List of Contributors: Ing. Dr. Shadrack Kwadwo Amponsah, Bernard Sakyiamah, Enoch Bobie Agyemang, Dennis Gyasi Boakye.