Overview of Fish on Farms project Production and sustainable management of nutrient-rich small fish (SIS) in ponds and wetlands

for improved nutrition in South AsiaMarch 1-3, 2014, Bangladesh

Chin Da, FiA and Lek Sophat, HKI

BACKGROUND: FOOD SECURITY AND CAMBODIA HEALTH STATUS

Cambodia is RICE secure

5% of children <5 years die

30% due to undernutrition

40% of children <5 years are stunted

55% of children <5 years are anemic

44% of women are anemic

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the effectiveness of HFP with and without aquaculture using a cluster- randomized controlled trial

STUDY DESIGN: VILLAGE MODEL FARM AS A CLUSTER

VMF

F F

FF

F

FF

FF

FCluster 1 village model farm10 village Farmers

STUDY DESIGN: (N=960 HOUSEHOLDS)

Total = 960 Beneficiaries

n=30

n=30

n=30 Comparison Arm

STUDY DESIGN

Represented by a woman Fall within the “poor” category Have access to land Have a child <5 years of ageHave suitable land for pond

Household Inclusion Criteria:

TARGET POPULATIONS IN 4 INTERVENTION DISTRICTS

Mesang Svay Anthor

Kamchay Mear

BaPhnom

Total

3 VMF owner

26 VMFs owners

17 VMFs owners

14 VMFs owners

60 VMF owner

6 VHVs 52 VHVs 37 VHVs 28 VHVs 120 VHVs

30 HHs 260 target Households

170 target Households

140 target Households

Total 600

4 commune counselors

28 commune counselors

20 commune counselors

20 commune counselors

72 commune counselors

INDICATORS

SHORT TERM OUTCOME – DIETARY INTAKE

MEDIUM TERM OUTCOME – BIOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT

LONG TERM OUTCOME – ANTHROPOMETRICS

• 24 hour recall on mother and youngest child under five

• Measurement of nutritional composition of fish

• Hemoglobin• Ferritin/ CRP• Transferrin saturation• Hemoglobinopathies• Vitamin B12• Retinol Binding Protein• Thiamin and riboflavin• Zinc• Fatty acids

Only on 450 womenHemo cue on children

• Height• Weight• Stunting• Wasting• Study will not be long

enough to assess changes

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OTHER COMPONENTS

EnvironmentBCCHygiene and

SanitationFisheries Technology

(mixed pond aquaculture)

GenderCost/Benefit

PROGRESS TO DATE: FISH ON FARMS PROJECT

TRAINING AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

Training of Trainers (ToT) on HFP + Aquaculture + Gender + marketing: 30 participants (FiA, HKI WFC, ODOV, PDA, POA, and DOA

Training of VMF owners: 30 VMFs on HFP + Gender + marketing

Training of 30 VMFs on HFP + Aquaculture + marketing Training of Trainers (ToT) on nutrition BCC + Gender: 20

participants (NNP, ODOV, PHD and ODs) Training of VHVs on nutrition BCC + Gender: 120 VHVs Training of HHs on HFP + marketing + nutrition: 300 HHs Training of HHs on HFP + aquaculture + marketing +

nutrition: 300 HHs Produced poster, video and lessons learned (Bulatin,

PROGRESS TO DATE

Group 1 (Fish + HFP):

Established 360 ponds (300 HH and 60HH in 30 VMFs)

Established 30 VMFs and 300 HH farms for veg + fruit production

All the ponds are producing fish (both small + large) and all VMF + HH are producing veg+fruits

Group 2 (HFP):

Establish 30 VMFs and 300 HH farms. All are functioning and continuing production of veg & fruit

Group 3 (Control group)

FISH SAMPLE COLLECTION ANALYSIS

• Three (3) species of small and three (3) species of Esomus metallicu , Trichopsis vittata, Ambly pharyngodon,Silver barb, Roho and Mrigal

•Fish Feed: Rice bran, termite, duck weed, morning glory, cooked rice, broken rice + commercial feed

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA)

HKI conducted Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) in consultation with IDRC and UBC by the external consultant

First EIA conducted on July 2012 The Consultant has conducted a

thorough environmental assessment at each of the 330 HHs scheduled to receive new or renovated ponds for fish cultivation.

Soil stability and groundwater quality and soil types were examined at all proposed sites

Findings: Environmental impacts are minor and can be effectively and efficiently mitigated within the existing framework of the project. It is recommended to proceeds to its next phase

GENDER RESEARCH

Gender analysis – Quantitative and

Qualitative N= 960 Households

Unequal Decision Making Influence• Women manage household finances

• Women are not equal in expenditure decision making

• Women want men to respect their opinions

• Women want greater influence over decisions

GENDER STRATEGY

Developed key messages for each goalIntegrated key messages into trainings &

workshops• Marketing, homestead food production, nutrition

Including men in education sessionsAdding training sessions on:

– Alcohol, health and financial costs– Violence and women’s rights– Joint financial budgeting– “Head of household” and decision-making– Assertiveness

CONDUCTED TOT ON BEHAVIOR CHANGE AND COMMUNICATION (BCC)

Hired a consultant for 10 days 16 participants from NNP/MoH, NGO, FiA, MoEYS,

UBC and HKI gained significant knowledge and skills from this training

Training manual and curriculum for Health Workers/VHVs on ENA/BCC was finalized and used for the Fish on Farms project

Nutrition action plan for the Fish on Farm project was developed during this ENA/BCC training

VILLAGE FISH HATCHERY ESTABLISHMENT

• Start in April for:– Conducted assessment for selection

of hatchery farmer and land – Fish pond construction– Fish hatchery construction

• Start in June for:– Conducting training for the hatchery

farmer– Fish seed production (3 species)– More than 100,000 fingerling

produced

• Start in September for:– Distribution 60,000 fish– Other 50,000 fish sold to other village

farmers and kept for GO

ESTABLISHED HATCHERY FOR FINGERLING PRODUCTION

Established the hatchery with good active participation and interested from community

This is a sustainable source of fingerlings supply for FoF project

VILLAGE FISH SEED PRODUCTION OF VMF

Species

produced

Number produced (heads)

Distributed to

Project farmers (heads)

Sold to other famers (heads)

Fingerlings remained (heads)

Silver barb 55,000 42,000 10,000 3,000

Mrigal (1time)

40,000 18,000 2,000 20,000

Roho (1time)

15,000 0 2,000 13,000

Total 110,000 60,000 14,000 36,000

QUICK ASSESSMENT FROM FOF HOUSEHOLD REGISTER

Collected data from 60 HH and 5 VMF ponds Amount of large fish harvested 10-13 kg in last month Amount of large fish consumed 7-9 kg in last month Amount of small fish harvested 3-4 kg in last month Amount of small fish consumed 2.5-3 kg in last month Average weight of large fish was 125-250 g

MATERIAL PRODUCE

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Methods of prevention and improvement of fish ponds turbidity water

Advantage of SIS and methods of Cooking

MATERIAL PRODUCE

Bio-Resources in village for household fish culture

MATERIAL PRODUCE

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MATERIAL PRODUCE

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CONSTRUCTION OF POND

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Fish pond and garden Household pond

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SMALL FISH FROM HOUSEHOLD POND

LESSON LEARNED

Project farmers have changed behavior of SIS consumption, they have understood the SIS is more micronutrient-rich fish than large fish

SIS production is most simple techniques for rural farmers to produce from their owned earthen fish ponds

Partial harvesting of SIS is to increase SIS production Green water quality and shelter of aquatic plants in fish pond are

appropriate techniques to increase SIS production Village Fish Hatchery Farm is most important demonstration to

supply fingerlings to the village farmers and is sustainable ways for project activities as well.

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CHALLENGES DURING THE LAST ONE YEAR

Staff dropped out (ODOV, WFC and HKI) Village and HH selection process Study design expanded the program area Maintained water level during the dry season Migration of the targeted beneficiaries

WAY FORWARD

Continue the existing project for 5 months moreHuge opportunities for scaling up Link with micro-credit organizations/InstitutionsLink with Private sector enterprise Advocacy to integrate with the strategic planning

framework for fisheries 2010-2019 (FiA-MAFF) and commune planning

Policy and strategy advocacy for small scale aquaculture/polyculture

Include WASH component Multiple Options for food production Scale up with HKI’s existing Food production Program

in Cambodia and other parts of Asia and Africa

Fish on Farm Project is implemented by

Helen Keller International (HKI)

And

University of British Columbia (UBC)

in collaboration with

Fisheries Administration, MAFF

World Fish Center

Organization to Develop Our Villages

Project undertaken with the financial support of the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), www.idrc.ca, and the Government of Canada, provided

through Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada (DFATD), www.international.gc.ca”

Thanks you so much

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