Mr. C. Bweupe and Mr. A. Woynarovich presented the aquaculture extension system used in Northern Province.
The DoF had been supported financially and technically by NORAD since 1988 with a massive campaign of introduction of fish farming activities in the province. In 1992 the need for an efficient extension approach was identified. This approach was based on 3 main aspects:
The aquaculture extension service was directed toward those farmers who were interested in fish farming, who were innovative and who had the physical conditions of building and maintaining well functioning fish ponds. Those farmers without a suitable site were discouraged to start fish farming. Farmers were not differentiated according to the criteria of small-, medium-, or large scale farmers.
Four fish species were used in Northern Province; Oreochromis andersonii, O. macrochir, Tilapia rendalli, and Cyprinus carpio. The Government fish farm, Misamfu Fish Culture Station served as the central fishseed production centre which supplied the fingerlings to the farmers. Fingerling trade between farmers was intensive in several areas.
Polyculture of fish species was promoted in order to increase the production of the ponds. T. rendalli was recommended as the main species in those areas where manure was in short supply.
Farmers who expressed interest in fish farming were contacted and the visits necessary for the required assistance was arranged as soon as possible. Emphasis was given to detailed technical advice to the farmers. Besides these extension visits all fish farmers in the province were surveyed once a year.
All technical aspects of aquaculture were explained in detail in an extension and teaching guide in the form of a booklet and as flipcharts.
Aquaculture had two divisions in the province, one focusing on production and research and the other on extension. The extension division was headed by the Training and Extension officer who supervised the fish culture extension officers. These officers operated in the district centres and at some missions.
The extension officers had received training in aquaculture extension and were paid honorariums for each extension activity carried out.
Discussion:
The discussion focused on the sustainability of paying incentives to extension workers for carrying out extension activities. It was said that with this system information would become available on how much this system exactly costs. After that the Department could decide whether it was feasible to continue. It was also mentioned that incentives for extension staff were not necessary for them to do the job, instead having the means to carry out their work was considered far more important. Going out in the filed as often as possible was not an indication of success, rather achieving good production in the field. It was agreed that production was the ultimate goal, however information on production in the field was very difficult to obtain, and often an indirect indication had to be used to estimate the pond productivity.
The need for information on the financial feasibility of fish farming was mentioned, however NORAD still wanted to direct their support towards food for household consumption. For this reason the project would not focus much effort toward obtaining economic information on aquaculture.
Mr. Cypian Tembo presented the aquaculture extension system used in the Copperbelt Province.
The main fish species used in the province were O. andersonii, C. carpio and Serranochromis robustus. At the research station grasscarps, silvercarps and labeo's were held but these species were not used in extension.
Due to the collaboration with the Department of Agriculture the number of fish farmers in the province was expanding rapidly. The Agriculture Extension Officers have received training in aquaculture and identify interested farmers during their extension meetings. The Fisheries Extension Officers were then informed and gave advice to the farmers. The extension materials used were slides, pamphlets and flipcharts.
The fingerlings were mainly provided by the Government fish farm, but due to the problems in seed supply and transport, a number of fish farmers had become fingerling producers.
The extension service was hampered by lack of transport and extension staff. Information on the economics of aquaculture was inadequate in the extension message, and there was a need for extension material that highlighted the economics of the activity. This material should include concrete figures that could also be used by financing institutions when considering loans for aquaculture activities.
It was argued that fish farming taken up by groups was in many cases not feasible. The main reason for groups to abandon fish farming was that they were not formed with the main purpose of creating a productive fish farming enterprise.
A general overview of aquaculture extension in Northwestern province was given by Mr. G.Z. Sinkala, and a description of the aquaculture extension under the UNDP/Africare Aquaculture Project was presented by Mr. M. Chilala.
Northwestern Province was located far from the main capture fisheries, and fish was in short supply. The original intention of introducing fish farming was to alleviate malnutrition among the refugees from neighbouring countries. The target group was therefore the small scale and poor farmers who needed food and employment. The extension service was assisted by several donors.
The extension methods used included workshops, seminars, group discussions and formal training for farmers and field staff, and printing and distribution of extension pamphlets.
The main species used were T. rendalli, O. andersonii, and O. macrochir. These species were selected for reasons of yield, easy management, tolerance, and market acceptability. The fingerling production and delivery was a constraint limiting aquaculture uptake. This problem was being addressed by creating field stations, farmer to farmer supply and encouraging school production units.
Manuring the ponds with animal manures supplemented with some feeding of waste products was the most widely adopted culture technique.
At the organisational side the extension service was linked with other departments. This had the advantage that staff and other facilities could be shared, but at the same time also created the need for tighter control and discipline.
The Northwestern Aquaculture Programme provided extension services in Mwinilunga District and Mahba Refugee Centre. Eight Fisheries Assistants were based in the field and were responsible for the extension in their area. In total there were 1554 fish farmers.
The selection of the participating farmers was done jointly with the Chiefs and other traditional leaders. The Chief provided land for the selected intending fish farmers, who were trained by the extension service. Farmers' groups periodically recruited new farmers and discussed fish farming matters.
The extension service had staff based in the field who had been provided with a motorbike. These extension workers conducted personal visits to fish farmers and provided the necessary advice. Messages were delivered through these individual visits, group meetings, field trips, and demonstrations.
Training literature included a number of textbooks and extension pamphlets, but not all were sufficiently adapted to the present situation.
A polyculture of the three local species was promoted. Manuring was limited as a result of lack of animals, fish were fed with local materials such as cassava leaves, sunflower cake, sweet potato leaves. Production was around 2 tons/ha/yr. In order to increase the production the project had formulated fish feed using local ingredients.
The project had promoted a decentralised approach towards seed production. Interested farmers were trained and provided with broodstock. To date 3 tons of fingerlings had been distributed from private fingerling producers to other fish farmers.
The project provided credit to fish farmers for pond construction, renovation, seed, and feed. Some farmers had repaid the loans while others had failed due to low production.
The main problems experienced were: high extension worker/farmer ratio, lack of selected broodstock for private fingerling producers, lack of extension materials, and low production in the ponds.
Discussion
The discussion focused on the prices of fingerlings. The following figures were given:
| North-western Province, Government farm, tilapia | ZK 1000/kg |
| Northern Province, Government farm, tilapia | ZK 20/pc |
| Northern Province, Government farm, carp | ZK 50/pc |
| Northern Province, Private farmers, tilapia | ZK30–60/pc |
| Copperbelt, Government farm, tilapia | ZK 40/pc |
It was argued that in order to promote private fingerling production the Government should not sell and distribute fingerlings at low prices.
The importance of proper training for farmers in the selection of good quality fingerlings was stressed.
Mr. Teddy Nakuweza presented the aquaculture system used in Central Province.
Since 1994 the aquaculture extension was executed in collaboration with the DoA. During a seminar and training session most of the staff of the DoA had been trained in aquaculture, and it was now incorporated into their extension service. This had given good results.
In total the province had 448 fish farmers, but this number was affected by the current drought. The species cultured were the three tilapia species O. andersonii, O. macrochir and T. rendalli. Fingerlings were being produced by the farmers but distribution was still a major problem due to a lack of transport.
The collaboration with the DoA had yielded very good results but it was felt that the support was only one way. The DoF was completely dependent on the goodwill of the DoA for assistance, and was not able to provide any services in return. Collaboration would work better when both departments had an equal role to play.
The aquaculture extension system used in Luapula Province was presented by Mr. Frederick S. Kafumbe.
The fish production of the capture fishery in Luapula Province was 40% of the national production of Zambia. Still farmers in the plateau region had no access to fish, and the province had one of the highest malnutrition levels in the country. Fish farming was for most areas a new activity and had only started to take off after 1987.
The fish farmers were selected through village group discussions, and came mainly from the category of the small farmers. Extension was now executed in collaboration with the DoA, which had increased the number of fish farmers in the province. The main advantage of this collaboration was that the DoA had staff based at village level and had the means to carry our extension activities.
The three common indigenous tilapia species were used, although in some ponds T. sparmanii were stocked. Management was in most cases extensive with irregular manuring and feeding of waste products. The productivity of most ponds was estimated at around 200–500 kg/ha/yr.
Fingerlings were produced at the two Government stations, but present production was low due to the drought and fingerling distribution was hampered by the lack of transport.
The extension pamphlets were the main material used in aquaculture extension, and the messages reached the farmers through agricultural shows, group visits, group meetings individual visits, and training courses.
The collaboration between the two department was seen as a blessing to the extension service because through the DoA means were available to carry out the extension activities. At the same time the staff of the DoA had gained knowledge about fish farming while DoF staff leared about other farming systems. The disadvantage of the system was that the staff of the DoF did not receive the same incentives as the staff of DoA and lost motivation, while the staff of the DoA were not always able to give specialised advice to fish farmers.
Discussion
The discussion highlighted the need for appropriate trained staff. It was felt that the training received by the DoF trainees concentrated more on fisheries than on fish farming. As a result new staff were not able to execute their duties on aquaculture extension as required. It was mentioned that the Syllabus needed to be updated. Most of the training material dated from the 1960's and was out of date. It was mentioned that especially socio-economic aspects of aquaculture and the latest extension techniques needed to receive more attention during the training. The need for refresher courses for field staff was remarked. It was proposed that aquaculture staff should come together and identify the exact needs for training and discuss the contents of a new Syllabus.
Mr. Joseph Mutale presented the extension approach used in Eastern Province.
The main target group for aquaculture extension was the small scale and the medium scale farmers. Eight years ago extension focused on the small scale rural subsistence farmers, and now fish farming had been successfully integrated with other farming activities by rural semi-intensive farmers. A participatory extension method had been developed which allowed for a flexible approach towards extension and consequently for the possibility to change the messages when the conditions of the farmers changed.
The main species cultured were the O. andersonii and T. rendalli. In the past Government farms had always provided fingerlings of these species to the farmers but due to the increasing number of fish farmers, the drought situation at the farms, and the increasing cost for transport this distribution system was no longer feasible. More emphasis was now given to production of fingerlings by the private fish farmers.
Most ponds in the province were small, constructed in dambo areas, and fed by ground water. Ponds were manured and fed with on-farm resources. In the identification of the culture system to be promoted the farmers characteristics were taken into account. Fish farming was now well integrated into the farming system of the fish farmers.
Since 1992 fish farming was integrated in the Training and Visit system of the DoA. DoF staff were responsible for training DoA staff and fish farmers. The fact that the DoF and DoA were under the same ministry made integration easy, and the effectiveness of extension had improved because the agriculture extension staff were well trained in extension, the operational support was adequate, training and decision making was done at village level, and the extension used a participatory approach. Staff of the DoF operated as subject matter specialists, and prepared monthly messages, and trained DoA staff at different levels.
The main extension methods used include individual meetings, group meetings, agricultural shows, mobile courses, residential courses and drama.
The materials used in extension were extension pamphlets and flipcharts during mobile courses, and bulletins for disseminating monthly messages about aquaculture to farmers and extension workers.
Discussion
A problem which was identified with the private fingerling producers was the selection of good quality fingerlings. In many cases the farmers were not able to select good quality fingerlings and broodstock. This resulted in slow growth and stunted populations. It was urged that more on site training of the farmers was needed in selection of fish.
O. andersonii was the most widely used species. However it was mentioned that in cases where manure was not readily available T. rendalli could give better results. It could be fed with leaves and plant material, reproduced well and could attain good growth. For farmers with little available inputs and for starting farmers T. rendalli might be a more suitable species.
One of the main problems identified in collaborating with the DoA was the attitude of individuals who did not want to work together with other departments, but prefered to work independently. Where the attitude towards collaboration was positive very few problems with this collaboration were encountered by the field staff.
