SAVE_SUCHANA: Ending the Cycle of Under-nutrition in Bangladesh_Quarterly Progress Report_October 2018

Abstract

In collaboration with other Suchana consortium partners, WorldFish has supported around 60,000 HFP-BHHs for with nutrition sensitive horticulture since January to September 2018. As one of the core interventions horticulture is common for the entire Suchana households either from WorldFish (50%) or from HKI (50%). Out of those, 12,838 HFP-BHHs have received supports related to either HFP-Aquaculture or the alternative like HFP-poultry rearing. A total 7,300 BHHs have received supports related to pond aquaculture, and 4,174 BHHs have received 1st installment of poultry rearing supports those didn’t have eligible ponds for aquaculture; and the remaining 1,364 BHHs have received integrated supports on both the pond aquaculture and poultry rearing especially those had smaller ponds less than two (2) decimals per household. The support includes technical training, critical inputs like vegetable seeds, fish fingerling, lime, fish feed, poultry birds and relevant few other inputs. Suchana is also working to establish the connections with local market actors and service providers from public and private sectors. Besides the beneficiary households, WorldFish team also provided training, coaching, hands-on-training for frontline program staff members, and other local service providers from public and private sectors including the official from DoF, DAE, fish nursery operators, fingerling retailors (Patilwalas) and feed sellers from entire working areas. In collaboration with the implementing partners, WorldFish also conducted 255 linkage events at the field-level to demonstrate the results to Suchana beneficiary households. A total 11,763 participants attended at the events. Based on recently conducted annual performance survey, it was found that production of both the vegetables and fish have significantly increased at beneficiary households of phase 1 working unions compare to the baseline of August 2017. Similarly very appreciable improvement has also observed at the dietary diversity of reproductive age women of the beneficiary households. Despite the considerable progress in most of the targeted activities, there were also some challenges. Unexpected flash flood at some of the working areas was one of the major reasons of delaying the delivery aquaculture and poultry inputs. Delayed fingerlings stocking in ponds for flood-free areas due to delay procurement process as well as some vendors failed to supply fingerlings on time. Winter vegetable seed distribution delayed due to delayed procurement process. Therefore, it is recommended that procurement of inputs should be stated ahead (at least one month) of stipulated time that will help timely delivery. Procurement of fingerlings can be purchased from local patilwalas directly. Season based activities like vegetables seed, fish fingerlings and off-farm fisheries IGA should be delivered in time. More technical follow-ups should be strengthened to improve the quality of the overall interventions including pond aquaculture and vegetable gardening.