DFID Suchana, WorldFish Quarterly Process Monitoring Report on Aquaculture for October to December 2019

Abstract

Using the online database of Suchana, WorldFish team has developed this report. Total 129 data were collected during 1st October to 31st December 2019. Out of 129 data, 61 were on demonstration ponds (Demo-Ponds), 62 were on Homestead Food Production ponds (HFP-Ponds) and only 6 Income Generating Activities ponds (IGA-ponds). Considering the very smaller sample size, findings from IGA-ponds weren’t shared in this report. The average pond sizes were 11.6 decimals and 12.1 decimals for Demo-Pond and HFP-Pond respectively. The pond sizes per respondent household were 9.7 decimals and 5.7 decimals for Demo-Pond and HFP-Pond respectively. Three-forth (75%) of the Demo-Ponds and 39% of HFP-Ponds had single ownership and the remaining 25% of demo-ponds and 48% of HFP-Ponds had joint ownership. More proportion of demo-ponds had single ownership compare to the HFP-ponds. There were both the positive and negative observations during the visits by Suchana staff members. Number of ponds was found with excellent to moderate growth of fish as well as tilapia production. More than eighty five percent 86.9% of Demo-pond BHHs and 51.6% of HFP-Pond BHHs harvested fish from their ponds in last 30 days since the visits. But only 13.1% of Demo-Pond BHHs and 3.2% of HFP-pond BHHs sold their fish from their ponds in last 30 days. The average fish was harvested 12.4 kilogram per Demo-pond and 8.6 kilograms per HFP-pond in last 30 days since the visits of process monitoring. They also harvested small fish, consumed at the family levels and some of them also sold the fish. Quality of water was moderate and good. Overall communication between the staff members and BHHs has improved. Besides the positive observations, there were also some negative observations. There were some ponds with low level of natural feed in the pond water, water was turbid, presence of weeds in the pond, water color wasn’t at the expected levels, and feeding practices weren’t regular. Suchana staff members had also shared some suggestion during the visits. The pond owners should clean the weeds from the pond water and surrounding areas, prune the branches of large trees from the pond dykes, and use lime to improve the quality of water, apply feed and fertilizers regularly following recommended doses.