Suchana_DRAFT_Annual assessment of nutrition sensitive aquaculture and horticulture of Suchana in Sylhet and Moulvibazar_Dec2018

Abstract

WorldFish is promoting nutrition-sensitive fish and vegetable production systems for beneficiary households in north-east Bangladesh as part of the ‘Suchana’ consortium led by Save the Children and other consortium partners; HKI, IDE, icddr,b, CNRS, FIVDB and RDRS. Suchana has adopted an integrated approach delivering both nutrition specific and nutrition sensitive interventions to prevent chronic malnutrition within the critical first 1,000 days of a child’s life. The goal of the 6-year program is to reduce childhood stunting by additional 6% in 250,000 poor and very poor households in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts. It is anticipated that 30% of the beneficiary households would have access to ponds or other small water-bodies and would receive support on nutrition-sensitive fish production along with other nutrition-sensitive and nutrition-specific program components. Nutrition-sensitive fish and vegetable production interventions focused mainly on carp and tilapia polyculture along with the production of small indigenous fish species and different types of vegetables. The main aim of the interventions is to increase the production and consumption of fish and vegetables to enhance dietary diversity of reproductive age women and young children of 6 to 23 months old. Suchana program has been covering the 250,000 households in four different phases. A total of 63,145 beneficiary households from the 40 unions have been enrolled in Phase 1 of Suchana. Out of those, 59,330 BHHs have received support on nutrition sensitive-horticulture system in 2017. In addition to the horticulture and nutrition specific interventions, 10,951 HFP-pond beneficiary households and 376 Demo-pond-HHs (demonstration ponds) and 839 IGA-pond-HHs from Phase 1 have received HFP-Aquaculture related support. The support includes technical training, coaching and house-to-house follow-ups along with some critical inputs like vegetable seeds, fish fingerling, lime, fish feed and few others. They have also received support on forming linkages with relevant local service providers and market actors. This study shows strong evidence of adoption of the improved technologies and practices with considerable progress in production and use of fish at entire three categories of beneficiary households.