Suchana: Ending the cycle of undernutrition in Bangladesh. IGA- Aquaculture Tilapia-Carp Polyculture (Mono-sex tilapia dominating)

Abstract

Suchana promotes Income Generating Activities (IGA) through farmed fish production that is environmentally sustainable. This enhances the contribution of aquaculture in poverty reduction, food and nutritional security, and natural resource management. Primarily, it focuses on commercial species fish tilapia (mono-sex) with carp using mixed culture practices that earn more profits. These are quick-growing tilapia (mono-sex), and are thus generally considered more profitable. Besides the monoculture of tilapia, some carps and mola along with small indigenous species (SiS) are also encouraged for better utilisation of feeding, increased productivity, and making it more nutrition-sensitive. Beneficiary households (BHHs) supported for income generation with aquaculture usually receive higher quantities of commercial fish feed, and greater financial support compared to the homestead food production (HFP) beneficiaries. IGA-BHHs are very poor households from the bottom 40% of Suchana BHHs. Production of various vegetables round the year using pond dikes and homestead is also integrated there as one of the common components of Suchana. Considering the interest from the beneficiary households and local potentialities, some IGA-BHHs have received support on other fisheries-related IGAs like semi-commercial fishing, fish drying, fish and fingerling trading, among others. A total 8,389 IGA-BHHs have received IGA-Aquaculture and support for fisheries.