SAVE_SUCHANA: Ending the Cycle of Under-nutrition in Bangladesh_Quarterly progress report_July to Sept 2019

Abstract

WorldFish is leading the nutrition sensitive fisheries and aquaculture component of Suchana program. It comprises nutrition sensitive aquaculture and fisheries interventions along with the coverage of 50% of BHHs for vegetable gardening to improve nutrition status of women of reproductive ages and children less than two years in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts. WorldFish is committed to “contribute to increased production and consumption of nutritious fish and vegetables in homestead or leased ponds, land and through utilizing public and private water body/wetland potentials-Pillar 3” (Suchana Technical Proposal, page xvi). Considering the topography, agro-ecological and social contexts of the targeted areas, different technologies have been adopted to promote the nutrition sensitive fish culture in the ponds and vegetables cultivation at the pond dykes including the homestead. Based on expectations from the targeted households, poultry has also been incorporated especially for some of the households those have pond but pond’s water areas are less than three decimals per household. All these interventions are also addressing the climate resilient issues. WorldFish is emphasizing the access of nutrition specific activities towards promoting the diversified diets as well. During the reporting quarter, considerable numbers of GoB officials, hatchery, nursery operators, fingering retailers (patilwalas), demo-pond operators and beneficiary households have participated in different capacity building initiatives like trainings, orientations, critical inputs, technical follow-ups and linkages events organized by WorldFish along with Suchana consortium partners. Besides the training and linkages events, at least 1,057 IGA-BHHs, 7,564 HFP-BHHs and 82 Demo-pond operators have received technical inputs like quality fish fingerings, fisheries inputs such as fishing boat, net, bamboo trap, lime, fish fingerlings, fish feed; and vegetable seeds for winter season to enhance their homestead food production systems especially aquaculture and horticulture during the reporting quarter. Cumulatively, 1,570 IGA-BHHs, 9,913 HFP BHHs and 116 demo-pond operators have received technical inputs within the current production year. Out of 9,913 BHHs, 3,198 BHHs have received quality fingerlings and related supports lime and fish feed for nutrition sensitive aquaculture only and 2,693 BHHs have received quality fingerlings and relevant supports for nutrition sensitive aquaculture in addition to the small-scale poultry rearing supports as the part of integrated production model especially those BHHs had access to pond but that was less than thee decimals water area per BHHs. Other 381 BHHs have received inputs on subsistence fishing opportunities, 16 BHHs have received inputs on subsistence fishing and fish process (like dry fish), 3,625 BHHs have received inputs on subsistence fishing and poultry rearing, and the remaining 670 BHHs have received inputs exclusively on poultry rearing. Subsistence fishing opportunities are included small fishing net and bamboo- made fishing traps. The overall achievement was 90%. Besides the aquaculture and integrated interventions, at least 18,223 beneficiary households received vegetable seeds for growing diversified vegetables during the reporting quarter. However, most of the targeted activities had good progress. Few activities overachieved due to local potentialities and some carry forwarded activities were also completed which was targeted in earlier quarter. Based on process monitoring results and field observations, most of the targeted households adopted improved production practices of aquaculture and vegetable gardening; there are good responses from the small-scale poultry under the integrated supports model, and subsistence fishing as well. Based process monitoring results, almost three-fourth of Demo-pond operators (71.4%) and HFP-pond BHHs (71.2%) harvested fish from their pond within past 30 days since the visits. The average harvest 9.0 Kg per Demo-pond and 7.8 per HFP-pond, and the estimated market values of those fish was 1,430 taka per Demo- pond and 1,434 taka per HFP-pond. Still, some challenges were also observed especially related to the fingerling distributions and procurement of other inputs. Some households also faced some damages pond aquaculture and vegetable gardens due to flood water and excessive rains.