DFID Nutrition sensitive aquaculture and horticultural activities of Suchana, WorldFish Annual Progress Report 2020


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Since the beginning of Suchana, WorldFish has been promoting nutrition sensitive fish and vegetable production systems to the beneficiary households of Suchana program. It comprises nutrition sensitive aquaculture and fisheries interventions along with the vegetable gardening to enhance dietary diversity of reproductive age women and children of less than 2 years old in Sylhet and Moulvibazar districts. Since 2018, WorldFish has added to promote integrated support model through incorporating the small-scale poultry along with the aquaculture and horticulture especially for the beneficiary households. In 2020, WorldFish has piloted other alternative interventions through combinations with subsistence fishing and small-scale poultry rearing in addition to the vegetable gardening. In the current reporting year, WorldFish and HKI jointly has supported more than 98,000 BHHs on nutrition sensitive horticulture including improved varieties of vegetable seeds, training, coaching, technical follow-ups and linkages with local value chain actors. These households were mainly from phase 3 and phase 4. Horticulture is one of the core interventions for the entire Suchana beneficiary households either from WorldFish (50%) or from HKI (50%). Within the reporting period, WorldFish have also supported, a total 10,896 BHHs have received inputs for homestead HFP-fisheries/ alternatives. Out of 10,896 BHHs, 3,203 BHHs have received quality fingerlings and related lime and fish feed supports for nutrition sensitive aquaculture only, and 2,810 BHHs have received quality fingerlings and relevant supports for nutrition sensitive aquaculture in addition to the small-scale poultry rearing supports as the part of integrated production model especially those BHHs had access to pond but that was less than three decimals water area per BHHs. Other 406 BHHs have received inputs on subsistence fishing opportunities, only 18 BHHs have received inputs on subsistence fishing and fish processing (like dry fish). The remaining 4,459 BHHs have received inputs on subsistence fishing and poultry rearing. The overall achievement was 98% compare to the AIP target of 11,075 BHHs. Besides HFP-BHHs, 1,576 IGA-BHHs and 116 Demo-pond households have also received fisheries related interventions in the reporting period. Based on semi-annual survey of Suchana conducted in Sep-Oct 2019, on an average fish harvest was increased in 41.7 kg for HFP-Aquaculture households from 25.8 kg and 86.5 kg per IGA-Aquaculture households from 38.0 kg. Almost three-fourth of the production was used for family consumption averaging about 30.7 kg (74%) for HFP-Aquaculture households and 63.5 kg (73%) for IGA-Aquaculture households at the semi-annual survey. A portion of the harvest was also gifted to their relative and neighbours. Around one-fifth of the fish production was sold at the market; and those were 8.3 kg per HFP-Aquaculture households and 19.3 kg per IGA-Aquaculture households. The average earnings were 1,654 BDT by HFP-Aquaculture households and 3,392 BDT by IGA-Aquaculture households. Based on the findings from rapid assessment conducted in January 2020, on an average 269 Kg of fish was harvested per beneficiary household of subsistence fishing in last one year from nearby open water like river, haor, khal, beel and floodplains including rice fields. Within last one year, they also reared 21 birds per households. It was included both chicken and ducks. On an average 101 eggs were collected per households from the homestead poultry from their chickens and ducks. The value of total harvest of fish, poultry birds and eggs was 60,927 BDT per BHH. Out of 60,927 BDT, the contribution of fishing was 56,261 BDT (82% of total), and the remaining 3,692 BDT and 974 BDT were from poultry birds (including chickens and ducks) and eggs respectively. Overall 91% respondent households expressed either satisfied (66%) or very satisfied (25%) after receiving the supports on either only subsistence fishing or subsistence fishing and small-scale poultry rearing in addition to the vegetable production system. So considering the local feasibility and the interest from the individual beneficiary households, these kinds of multiple interventions including aquaculture, fishing, poultry rearing and vegetable gardening can also be continued for better outcomes at the beneficiary households.

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MD. Abdul Baten, Ashoke Sarker, Miah Dr. Md. Mahbubul Alam, Gopal Datta. (6/5/2020). DFID Nutrition sensitive aquaculture and horticultural activities of Suchana, WorldFish Annual Progress Report 2020.

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