Save the Children_SUCHANA: Ending the Cycle of Under-nutrition in Bangladesh_QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT Nutrition sensitive aquaculture and horticultural activities of Suchana_WorldFish_January 2021 - March 2021

Abstract

As a technical partner of Suchana, WorldFish is mainly promoting the nutrition sensitive aquaculture and fisheries including horticulture on the pond dyke, available homestead and surrounding lands to the Suchana beneficiary households. It comprises nutrition sensitive aquaculture and fisheries interventions along with the coverage of half (50%) of the beneficiary households 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 through increasing production, consumption and income under HFP and IGA support of nutritious fish and vegetables using homestead ponds, land and through utilizing public and private water bodies/wetland potentials under Pillar 3. Considering the topography, agro-ecological and social contexts of the targeted areas, different technologies have been adopted to promote the nutrition sensitive fish farming in the ponds, captured from accessible open water including fish drying and vegetable cultivation at the pond dykes along with homestead and surrounding lands. Based on expectations from the beneficiary households and local potentialities, poultry rearing 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; and those were targeted without pond but had potentials for subsistence fishing options. All these interventions are also addressing the climate resilient and adaptation techniques and practices. WorldFish is also emphasizing the access to nutrition specific activities from other consortium teams towards promoting the diversified diets. Except few, almost entire targeted activities related to WorldFish components targeted for current reporting quarter and most of the cumulative targets up to March 2021 have been completed. Except few, almost entire targeted activities related to WorldFish components up to current reporting quarter have been completed. A total 17,051 (98%) HFP-BHHs, 184 (99%) Demo-pond BHHs and 2,713 (99.7%) IGA-Aquaculture and Fisheries BHHs have received their allocated inputs up to the reporting quarter. A total 16,647 (96%) HFP-BHHs, 289 (117%) Demo-Pond BHHs and 310 (44%) IGA-Aquaculture BHHs have received training. As the community resource persons, Dem-pond operators have also disseminated different technical information to 16,131 households; where 11,526 of Suchana beneficiary households 4,605 Non-Suchana households. Capacity building training, orientation, meetings and linkages events for the private and public sectors like fish hatcheries, nursery operators, patilwalas/ fingerling retailers, and officials of DoF and DAE have also been achieved. At least 2 fish hatchery operators, 33 nursery operators and 40 patilwalas/ fingerling retailers participated in different events. A total 178 officials from DoF and DAE local offices participated in different formal events. As per the findings from the rapid assessment survey conducted by WorldFish on February 2021, average annual fish harvest per IGA-Aquaculture BHHs of Phase 4 unions was 57.8 kg/IGA-BHH. More than eighty (80.5%) percent of harvest (46.5 kg/BHH) was used for their own consumption. Only 7.7% (4.4 kg/BHH) of harvest was gifted to their relative and neighbours; and 11.9% of the harvest was sold at the market. Similarly, average annual fish harvest per HFP-Aquaculture BHHs of Phase 4 unions was 37.8 kg/HFP-BHH. Almost ninety percent (88.7%/ of harvest (33.6kg/HFP-BHH) was used for their own consumption. Only 3.3% of harvest (1.3 kg/BHH) was gifted to their neighbours and relative; and 7.9% of the harvest (3.0kg/HFP-BHH) was sold at the market. There was good progress in most of the indicators of targeted activities, outputs and outcomes, still, some beneficiary households are required further follow-up to continue the better quality. But second wave of current COVID19 situation is one of the major challenges to continue the field operations. As per the finding from the rapid asseessmnet conducted by WorldFish in February 2021 (Fisgure 2), IGA-Fishing BHHs have captured on an average 364.4 kg per housheold in last 1 year. Out of those, 23% (83.4 kg/BHH) consumed by their family members and 64% (231.8 kg/BHH) sold to the market; 10% (35.8 kg/BHH) gifted to their neighbour and relatives, and only 4% (13.5 kg/BHH) used for preparing the dry fish.