DFID Suchana, WorldFish Quarterly Process Monitoring Report on Aquaculture for Jan to Mar 2020

Abstract

The report has been developed using the online MIS database of Suchana. Due to current COVID 19 situations, some of the staff members have also collected data using mobile phone from residences or offices. A total 64 data were collected during the reporting quarter. Out of 64 data, 33 were on demonstration ponds (Demo-Ponds), 29 were on Homestead Food Production ponds (HFP-Ponds) and only 2 on Income Generating Activities ponds (IGA-ponds). Considering the very smaller sample size, findings from IGA-ponds weren’t presented in the current report. The average pond sizes were 14.9 decimals and 10.3 decimals for Demo-Pond and HFP-Pond respectively. The pond water areas were on an average 12.3 decimals and 8.8 decimals for Demo-Pond and HFP-Pond respectively. The pond sizes per respondent household were 13.7 decimals and 6.9 decimals for Demo-Pond and HFP-Pond respectively as there were both the single ownership ponds and joint ownership ponds. More proportion of Demo-Ponds (82%) had single ownership compare to the HFP-Ponds (66%). Most of the Demo-pond and HFP-Pond had good growth of their fish. Almost entire Demo-pond BHHs (97%) and 72% of the HFP-Pond BHHs harvested fish from their ponds within last 30 days; and the average harvests were 18.1 kilogram per Demo-Pond household and 7.8 kilograms per HFP-Pond household. Larger proportions of harvested fish were used for family consumption for both the Demo-Pond (70%) and HFP-Pond (79%) households; only 0.4 kg per Demo-Pond household and 0.7 kg per HFP-Pond household were distributed to the relatives and neighbors. The remaining 5.1 kg per Demo-Pond household and 1.0 kg per HFP-Pond household were sold to the market or nearby households. Most of the beneficiary households used lime, fish feed for their ponds. Some ponds owner started to restock the fingerling for current season and some are preparing to re-stock. Few ponds were also required further follow-ups to maintain the ponds specially to clean the pond dykes and regular use of fish feed in recommended dose. Accordingly, Suchana staff members provided some suggestions based on the status of the activities. The Major suggestions were to stock fingerling in the pond, to apply lime to improve water quality, to apply fish feed, to apply fertilizers for better growth of fish, to harvest fish (tilapia and mola) from the pond regular basis, to remove aquatic weeds from the pond, to sell additional harvest, to check the growth of fish using net, to prune the branches of large trees from pond side for better sunlight, and to keep duckweeds using ring or box.