Fish in the tea

Abstract

When the rains fail in Malawi, life gets really tough. But in the Thylo district, Friday Limited Nikoloma has discovered integrated agriculture and aquaculture. This allows him to produce more, and to keep his crops green even if the rains fail. Back in 1986, on a two-week course run by the WorldFish Center and its partners, he learned how to use agricultural waste to fertilise his ponds, and pond water to irrigate his crops. But, being a true visionary, Nikoloma did not simply apply the techniques he learned-he actually improved upon them! Perhaps most impressively, Nikoloma realised that, by running water downhill through progressively narrower pipes, he could create enough pressure to run a sprinkler system. Now, water management on his farm is so efficient that, whilst producing fish, he is able to irrigate not only his own crops, but also those of his neighbours.