CHAPTER III
GENERAL FEATURES OF FARMING SYSTEMS AND ANALYSIS OF
FIELD DATA OF TARGET FARMERS

The data is analyzed for the potential ‘model farmers’ in the target provinces (starting from the northern, central and southern parts) according to the farming systems, aquaculture practices and economic returns. General comments are made on the agro-climatic differences as well as modifications in the current practices to achieve better results in order to develop appropriate and sustainable technology packages for the farmers. In the beginning the general features of the farming systems are described and later the ‘case study’ analyses of information for the ‘model farmer’ are presented.

A. XIENGKHOUANG

This is a mountainous province and due to cold climate, the active growing period for fishes is comparatively shorter as compared to the flat central and southern parts which are in general warm and the growing period for fishes is extended almost throughout the year. Also, the inherent fertility of aquatic resources in this mountainous region is rather low on a comparative basis. The streams which feed the impoundments (ponds) and the agricultural fields in Xiengkhouang are poor in nutrients. So two main physical factors, i.e., low temperatures and poor natural fertility of the aquatic resources dictate the aquaculture activities in this province. Two target districts have been selected namely: Mouangkham (villages Ban Hok, Ban Ban, Ban Chomthong) and Mouangkhoune (villages Ban Youne/Kosi).

Of the two districts, Mouangkham is relatively warmer as compared to Mouangkhoune and so the former district in general is expected to be more productive biologically than the latter, but the level of management of the farmed areas would often influence the results obtained in terms of production.

The major farming systems monitored in the above two target districts are described below :

1. Pond Fish Culture

The general features of this system as it exists in the two target districts are the following :

1.1 Ponds, generally small size (even less than 0.01 ha) and irregular in shape according to the topography, located in a series of interconnected pools. This type of pond system is like a running water pond culture system and the inlets and outlets are protected by screens, mostly locally devised. The common feature observed in this system is use of species like tilapia (panin) and common carp (panai), and some locally available indigenous species; normally the stocking densities used by farmers are very high, also, variable due to natural uncontrolled breeding of the stocked species and the practice of continuous harvest. Generally, the size of fish harvested is small (150–250 g). It has been stated in the foregoing that the feeder streams mostly have water low in nutrients and natural fish food. Thus such a culture system would prove efficient in case adequate regular feeding of the stocked fishes is adopted, which is normally not the case due to economic reasons. The effect of pond manuring is generally lost in this situation. Therefore, the fish growth is low, survival is poor, competition for food is high and the overall production and income therefrom are low. In order to improve this system, if regular adequate feeding of stocked fishes is not feasible, the next choice is to check the regular flow of water through the series of pond and to regulate the supply of water through properly controlled inlets and closing the outlets. Later manuring of the pond system can be resorted to in order to support the production of natural fish food and provide only supplementary feeds composed of locally available ingredients. The next important step to improve fish growth and production would be to lower the stocking densities (3,000–5,000/ha), also checking the natural breeding of stocked fishes to avoid over-population, and stock fishes with different feeding habits. Introducing a biological indigenous predator like pa tong (Notopterus chitala) in small numbers shall be very useful in regulating the population of wild fishes and checking the over-population problem caused due to natural breeding of the pond breeding species.

2. Integrated Farming

This is generally an integration of fish and livestock like pigs, ducks and chicken and commonly their houses are built on pond embankments so that the excreta and spilled feed drop into the pond on which directly or indirectly the fishes feed and the livestock waste products are recycled in the aquatic system. The other integration is with growing of vegetables, fruits etc. on or near pond embankment which yield improved production when irrigated with the fertile pond water or manured by the rich pond soil. However, the two systems of pond fish culture and integrated farming are closely linked and the former is generally getting improved by combining with integrated farming wherever possible in order to develop low-input sustainable technologies.

3. Rice-cum-Fish Culture

The system of rice-cum-fish culture is discussed separately as this is being revived as a vast resource for aquaculture in terms of area, production potential and management technology. This activity is adopted in traditional form for a very long time which has been yielding unpredictable production results. Since the use of pesticides in rice fields is generally now being discouraged or is very limited, the scope of rice plus fish culture has greatly increased in Xiengkhouang. The project got involved in suggesting and supervising some minor alterations in the existing rice fields like raising the embankments and digging suitable form of trenches and constructing fish catching/ shelter pits, also, protecting the water inlets and outlets to avoid escape of stocked fishes and to provide protection against entry of predators and wild fishes. Further, There are three combinations of rice + fish culture possible depending on the source of water supply, i.e, perennial through streams/canals or seasonal being rain-fed. These are:

- Perennial water source. (The duration of fish culture is usually 90 or 180 days).

1. One or two crops of rice and fish grown together; generally one crop rice is more common.

2. One crop rice + fish and an alternate crop of fish alone without rice, thus 2 crops of fish (one with rice and another without rice) is being tried by the farmers.

- Seasonal water source. (The duration of culture is usually 90 days).

3. One crop of rice with fish only possible in this case.

Here again depending on the location of the rice field, the integrated system (pond + livestock) is possible to install to give benefit to the pond fertility and to the rice field as well. Hence, it is evident that the variations in the set up of rice + fish culture will depend on the location, topography, water supply, also, feasibility in supervision of the set up. The fish production levels will also very much depend on proper management, i.e., timely manuring, eradication of predators and wild fishes, correct stocking density (checking over-population), species selection and ratio of stocking, combined with manuring and feeding wherever possible.

4. Fish Seed Production

Except a few well-established fishseed farms like Khangpho, the popular fish seed programme adopted by the farmers is based on propagation of the common pond breeding species like tilapia (pa nin) and common carp (pa nai). The farmers have experience as to how to breed common carp in ponds, but the traditional practice usually ignores selection of proper brood fishes, heavy mortality rate during hatching of eggs and rearing of fry and fingerlings because generally no special attention is given by the farmers to these aspects. In this respect, the project organized a special training programme for farmers interested in seed production. Also, the technical team of the project helped the farmers in seed production programme by direct participation and supervision. This has given good knowledge and some experience to farmers in undertaking the fish breeding and seed rearing activities by themselves. However, it is difficult to control the seed quality at this stage, but it is expected that proper awareness shall develop among the farmers with more experience and better demonstration of the technique by the project team in taking good care of the broodstocks and baby fishes. Aquaculture is picking up very fast in the area and so, the demand for fishseed is increasing. At this stage, the projects’ technical team is trying to exercise all possible control on quality of seed produced through properly educating the farmers.

B. VIENTIANE PREFECTURE

This central province is having considerable area as flat land and is agriculturally very rich. The climate is warm and the growing period for fishes is almost throughout the year. The land is fertile and the irrigation system is quite developed. Vientiane is the capital city of the province and is the main trading center of the country, connected to Thailand (Nongkhai) by the Mittaphab (Friendship) bridge over the River Mekong. Three districts have been selected namely, Sikhottabong (Ban : Nonkeo, Nahae, Thong Pong, NongTeng, NongPanai, NongNeo and Pakthang), Chanthabuly (Ban : Bonangoa) and Xaythany (Ban : Nontae) for regular monitoring to develop an agriculture network which involved the district (also province) level extensionists as part of on-the-job training to them along with Target Farmers (TFs). The following aquaculture farming systems were adopted in the target areas by the TFs, which were subjected to technology testing by the project team. Some interesting details are presented below:

1. Pond Fish Culture

The main characteristic feature observed in the province was that the average size of the ponds was larger than in the hilly (colder) province of Xiengkhouang. In general, the fish ponds varied between 0.1 to 1.0 ha or more in some cases. The general management of the fish ponds was quite good, only at times proper clearing of predatory fishes and manuring of the ponds including liming was not adequate. The selection of cultivated species was wider including the Asiatic carps ( Pa Chine and Pa India ), but common carp and tilapia continued to dominate in the culture programme. The stocking density were generally between 5000–10,000/ha, but often fry were stocked in the place of fingerlings. However, the technical team demonstrated that the lower stocking density between 3,000–5,000 and with fingerlings in place of fry ensured higher survival (average 75–80 %) and better growth rate ; the average market size fish was 500 g and above (even more than 1 kg) in the case of carps and about 250 – 400 g for tilapia, if managed well. The average production of fish before the start of the project was around 500 kg/ha/yr or even less, but this has increased to 1,000 kg/ha/yr on an average and under improved management has been over 1,500 kg/ha/yr. This improvement is from the traditional practice to semi-intensive level (involving proper pond preparation and used of lime and manure). It is seen that more and more farmers are digging new ponds/improving old ponds. Some farmers are even converting less fertile rice fields into fish ponds (as in Xiengkhouang as well), but this is not encouraged by the project team which is engaged in trying to improve the management of the existing ponds as such. Even some farmers are digging ponds to use them as water storage reservoirs for crops in addition to using for fish culture.

2. Integrated Farming

As described in the case of Xiengkhouang, in Vientiane integrated farming is commonly practiced with livestock (pigs, chicken and ducks), but mostly in small ponds located near the household for reasons of safety and convenience in management. It has been invariably noticed that the fish productions have considerably improved (even up to 2,500 to 3,000 kg/ha/yr) and input costs have been lowered. This practice is more manageable and generally the system of continuous harvest of market fish and restocking the ponds with fish fingerlings or advanced fry in some cases is adopted.

3. Rice-cum-fish culture

In Vientiane Prefecture, generally, the farmers have the practice to connect the small fish ponds with rice fields. The pond is used to receive fry/fingerlings which are allowed later to move into the rice fields with adequate water level, after the rice plants are established. Here the cultivated fishes utilize the food available in the rice field and it is generally believed that through the practice of rice + fish culture, the production of rice is also increased as compared to fields without fish. Wherever irrigation facilities are available the farmers like to grow one crop of fish alone after the rice harvest. However, this is still not a very commonly adopted system. On several occasions the rice fields are used to grow fingerlings for restocking the fish ponds. The pond + rice field complex seems to be working well in two of the three target districts. However, the target district Xaythany had a typical problem of lack of irrigation facility and often flooding of rice fields during heavy rains due to poor drainage system in the area. In such a case, alternate attempts are envisaged to initiate fish culture in rice fields for a shorter period after the normal flooding period is over, mostly to raise fingerlings for stocking in fish ponds along with some market fish as well.

There are also limited areas where fish culture is possible to practice along with the deep water paddy variety and this technology is being tested in the field with selected TFs. Also, in the case of rice fields where long and wide trenches are dug up around or within the rice field, the use of these trenches which hold sufficient depth of water, for growing market fish at lower densities, after the rice is harvested, is being tested to increase fish production from the area and thereby the income of the farmer.

4. Fish Seed Production

This practice is getting very popular with the farmers to generate quick income in short time and also become self-sufficient in raising their own fish seed for culture purposes. The project team has taken regular care to monitor such farmers to explain and demonstrate to them that they should produce only good quality fish seed from selected broodstocks. The poor quality seed is not good for them or other farmers in the longrun. The practice is mostly confined to the three most popular species namely, pa nai, pa nin and also pa Salith. As regards revising of seed of Chinese and Indian carps, it is mostly advised that the farmers procure the pure good quality spawn from good fish seed farms (govt./enterprise/private) and rear it to fry and fingerlings size thus avoiding the need to construct the costly hatcheries for the Asiatic carps. The farmers have already started following this suggestion. Also, they are taking good care of the broodstocks of the pond breeding species maintained in their ponds.

SAVANNAKHET

This is another rich, large and fertile province of Laos, located in the southern part, and is important for trade and agricultural production. The climate is warm and fish culture practices in general have a close resemblance to those in Vientiane Prefecture, so also the potential. However, the striking difference is that the status of aquaculture development in Savannakhet is much lower technologically than in Vientiane Prefecture. The rural population is more familiar with capture fishery aspects than fish culture. The project therefore got involved in two target districts namely Khanthabouly (villages : Yangsung, Nounsavath, Thaseno, Phonsavanh, Sebounheuang, Naseng) and Champhone (villages : Sephanluang, Kadan, Kengkok, Phousy, Bak, Nakhu, Kengkokneua). In general the farmers had little idea and interest in fish culture in the beginning but with demonstration of successful results of aquaculture in farmers' ponds/rice fields created great interest among them. The TFs later adopted the scientific method of management and also started sharing their success with other farmers. The characteristic features of the main fish culture practices in the province are presented below:

1. Pond Fish Culture

In Savannakhet the ponds in the target rural areas were generally small (0.05 - 0.5 ha) and majority of them were not managed well, being full of weeds, ill-maintained embankments and stocked (mostly over-stocked) with local species, tilapia and common carp and no maintenance of records of fish stocking and harvest, etc. Later, the project team got involved in selected demonstration sites offered by the TFs. Under proper management the production increased, in general, from about 100 kg/ha/yr to 1,000 kg/ha/yr, but more progressive farmers achieved productions above 2,000 kg/ha/yr. The species selection also improved by poly-culture of Asiatic carps and stocking densities found successful between 3,000, -5,000/ha, which is till being field tested to adjust with improving management of fish ponds.

2. Integrated Farming

This was mostly not existing before the start of the project, but gradually the farmers adopted it by integrating fish culture with livestock (pigs, chicken and ducks). As in other areas in this province too the livestock raising was organized near over the ponds which were located near the farmers' house for reasons of safety and management. In such areas the stocking density used was higher (5,000-6,000/ha) generally and production increased on an average to 1,500 kg/ha/yr. This practice is becoming more popular and is found more profitable and efficient from management point of view. Further, refining of the culture system is continuing from technical point of view as well as to strengthen the extension of this technology among more and more farmers.

3. Rice-cum-Fish Culture

This was found initially not a very popular culture system, but gradually the project team encouraged farmers to modify and improve their rice fields to carry out fish culture as well. The response of the farmers has been encouraging and successful working of the two systems together has resulted in developing some good demonstration sites in the target areas. The species mostly stock are common carp, tilapia and Puntius gonionotus, also, some Chinese and Indian carps have been added. The production and growth performance of the stocked fishes have been highly encouraging. From this system both market fish and fingerlings could be produced. The average stocking densities recommended have been around 3,000/ha and production up to 550 kg/ha and even more have been achieved.

Another interesting trial was made by culture of fish in rice fields without irrigation facility (rain-fed fields) and their outcome of this experimental trial was highly rewarding. Just by raising ponds embankments and installing fine mesh nylon screens on embankments to protect from flooding and escape of stocked fishes, production of fish around 300–500 kg/ha/3 months could be obtained. In this case as well both market fish and fingerlings for stocking fish ponds was achieved. This farming system is gradually becoming more popular with the farmers.

4. Fish Seed Production

This is developed only to a limited extent and some progressive farmers have started breeding common carps, Puntius gonionotus and tilapia to produce seed for their own use and the surplus for sale to other farmers to generate additional income. However, still the seed supply is from fish seed farm even by traders from Thailand who bring seed for sale to Savannakhet across River Mekong. In this case as well, the technical team shall have to monitor carefully that only good quality seed is produced for cultural purposes. The project has been assisting farmers in selection of broodstocks of pond-breeding species and in nursing the seed in target areas. The interest in this farming system is expected to grow gradually among the farmers.

FIGURE I. MAP OF LAO PDR SHOWING 10 TARGET PROVINCES OF LAO/89/003 PROJECT

TABLE I

NUMBER OF TARGET FARMERS (CATEGORY-WISE) AND DEMONSTRATION SITES
FOR DIFFERENT FISH FARMING SYSTEMS IN 10 PROVINCES UP TO 1994.

Category : A+ = Potential model farmer ; A = Progressive farmer ;
B = Enthusiastic farmer ; C = Interested farmer

Farming system : PF = Pond Fish culture ; IF = Integrated farming ;
RF = Rice Fish culture ; SP = Seed Production