Project Completion Report On Promoting Nutrition Sensitive Aquaculture in Thanchi

Abstract

Thanchi Upazila is one of the remotest upazila in Bangladesh. It’s a hilly area located at the southeast parts of Bangladesh which is about 142 Km far from Bandarban district Sadar. It consists of four unions namely Bolipara, Remakry, Thanchi, and Tindu. Indigenous communities such as marma, Murong, tripura and Khyang belong to this Upazila. The main livelihood strategies of the people are agriculture (72.10%), trading (3.91%), service (2.49%), non-agricultural laborer (1.48%), etc. Existing market challenges in Thanchi are lack of access to information on improved aquaculture, quality inputs such as good quality fish seeds, feeds, and other inputs at reasonable price at the locality in time; high price of inputs; limited access to forward markets; poor road access to hilly rural areas and hard to reach at the farm gate; poor access to private services especially on fish harvesting and transportation services which are expensive. To address these issues, BNKS has implemented the PNSAT project in partnership with Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture and Nutrition Activity (BAA) in Bandarban Sadar (including the municipality) and Rowangchari Upazila. The aim was to ensure that the poor fish farmers' families are fed and the people of the areas are involved in fish farming for financial gain. Positive actions have been taken to identify and overcome fish farming's weaknesses in this region.