SAVE_SUCHANA: Ending the Cycle of Under-nutrition in Bangladesh_Quarterly Progress Report_Jan to March 2019

Abstract

As one of the technical partners, WorldFish is mainly leading the nutrition sensitive fisheries and aquaculture component of Suchana program. It comprises nutrition sensitive aquaculture and fisheries interventions along with the vegetable gardening to improve nutrition status of women of reproductive ages and children less than two years in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts. In collaboration with other Suchana consortium partners, WorldFish has supported more than 80,000 HFP-BHHs on nutrition sensitive horticulture since January to March 2019. As one of the core interventions horticulture is common for the entire Suchana beneficiary households either from WorldFish (50%) or from HKI (50%). During the reporting quarter, 46,558 BHHs have received vegetable gardening related supports especially improved varieties of vegetable seeds and training. Up to March 2019, a total 18,826 BHHs have received aquaculture related training and the progress is 77% compare to the overall target of 24,325 BHHs since January 2018 to March 2019. As per AIP 2018, during the reporting quarter, for receiving training on aquaculture target number of BHHs from phase-3 was 6000 but considering the seasonality (that is not suitable time for training because it is so early) it was revised to shift in the next quarter. Due to less availability of BHHs with access to suitable pond or water bodies for aquaculture, few other options like poultry rearing was also open. Accordingly, a total 10,784 BHHs received training exclusively on pond aquaculture and other 6,734 BHHs especially those didn’t have access to pond received training exclusively on poultry rearing. The remaining 1,308 BHHs received the training on integrated supports including aquaculture and poultry rearing; these BHH had access to pond but that was less than two decimal water area of pond per BHHs. During the reporting quarter 179 linkage events was organized. Up to reporting quarter a total 434 linkage events were completed and a total of 22,206 participants from Suchana BHHs and non Suchana fellow farmers attended in the events. So overall progress was 56% compare to the AIP targets since January 2018 to March 2019. Due to shortage of HFP-Aquaculture BHHs, numbers of linkage events were also reduced. Based on recent studies, most of the households adopted improved production practices of aquaculture and vegetable gardening; there are good responses from the small-scale poultry under integrated food production in homestead through aquaculture, poultry and horticulture activities. Both the production and consumption of fish and vegetables have increased considerably that leads to the increased dietary diversity of reproductive age women, adolescent and young children. Still in some cases, BHHs with share ponds of Phase-3 are not motivated/ interested enough to go for aquaculture where ponds are jointly owned by both eligible and non –beneficiaries under HFP intervention. Fisheries management (Subsistence fishing and fish drying) interventions may be suitable especially for the households those don’t have access to ponds and dowel in low-lying areas. Integrated support (Fish and poultry) can be effective especially for the multi-ownership pond households under phase 3. Ponds water areas are considered up to 3 decimal per household for integrated support model. According to the rapid study on integrated support model for phase-2 BHHs, this model impacted for nutrition and income. Using the integrated supports, beneficiary households have harvested on an average 9.1 Kg of fish and 95% of those were used for family consumption. But it was the partial harvest and most of the ponds had fish and the estimated amount of fish (biomass) per respondent household was 12.9 Kg. All together their estimated production is 21.9 Kg and value of those fish was estimated 3,880 Taka per household. Besides aquaculture activities, the households also received supports on poultry rearing which included chicken or duck based on interest and technical feasibilities of individual households. From the poultry rearing 5.4 pieces of poultry birds were used in past 6 months and 61% of the birds were used for family consumption. Still they had 6.5 number of poultry birds either chicken or ducks or combination of both. The value of the uses of poultry birds was 1,616 Taka per households, and they had 6.5 birds which had also the value of 2,010 Taka. So, total value of poultry birds was 3,626 Taka based on the local market price. Similarly, each of the households collected 50.5 eggs in past 6 months; from those 34 were used for family consumption and that was 67% of the production. However, each of the beneficiary households of integrated support model used the products of 3,706 taka and they had the products of 4,329 taka. Altogether, the value of the fish and poultry products were 8,035 based on the local market prices.