IITA Technologies for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) Quarter 1 2020 Progress Report

Abstract

The Aquaculture Compact during the first quarter of 2020 continued to support Aquaculture value chain actors across the targeted countries providing technical support on Better Management Practices through extension service delivery. This is to ensure increase productivity, monitoring for quality control; including certification scheme for hatcheries and grow-out operators.

On farm trainings and demonstrations of Aquaculture technology were conducted in Ghana, Zambia, DR Congo and Kenya reaching a total of 490 fish farmers.

The TAAT Aquaculture Compact partners carried out outreach campaigns on ‘Eat More Fish’ and Field Days activities in Kenya and Ghana respectively as part of the strategy was to reach out to wider audience. Over 600 fish farmers attended the ‘Eat More Fish’ campaign. Important dignitaries such as the Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries and the Tharaka Nithi County Governor were also in attendance. It was aired on three television stations and one of them is a National Television with an estimated viewership of 848,000.

Aquaculture technologies have been demonstrated in two agroecological zones of South Kivu in DR Congo of both low and high altitudes in collaboration with Inspection Provinciale de la Pêche et de l'Elevage (IPAPEL), Bukavu Young Farmers (BYA), and Kivu Agricultural Group (KAG). They conducted on-farm growth trials on fish feed formulation and production, training of young people and fish farmers on tilapia production and diversification of catfish products. Other activities are awareness campaign in selected territories of South Kivu on the diversification of the market for aquaculture products. Additional 11,496,104 of improved fingerlings have been produced. Two smoking kilns were deployed to fish processors in Central Region of Kenya and the Eastern part. This has resulted to sensitization of eating value added fish products. Awareness has been created and stakeholders sensitized on the need for consumption of fish protein especially for women and children to reduce malnutrition and stunted growth. Two new farmers have adopted the raised pond technology this quarter in Kenya. The compact has directly reached 1,335 Aquaculture Value Chain Actors (AVCAs) through trainings, field demonstrations, exchange visit, extension and awareness in 6 countries (Benin, Cameroon, DR Congo, Ghana and Kenya and Zambia) this quarter on aquaculture technologies disseminated and BMPs. Indirectly reached 900,000 actors through TV broadcast and social media.