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Details of the recommendations are given in Chapter 8 of ALCOM report no. 9. An abbreviated version is
presented here.
The recommendations can be classified into three parts as follows:
- Advice & assistance to farmers/fishermen
- Contacts with Ministry of Finance, etc
- Organization of A.D.U. (Aquaculture Development Unit)
The recommendations take account of:
- Seminar conclusions
- Trends to reduce public administration;
- Importance of efficiency and effectiveness of government actions
6.1.1 Preparation
Goal: Contribute to economic growth
* First, from ADU Headquarters, organize through field based personnel of ADU or other government
departments:
- fish pond survey (where is the average size in use?)
- water availability?
- land availability?
- rural economy (underemployment, trends)
On the basis of these data:
* in the FIELD, undertake these studies:
In areas with stagnant rural economies & apparent surplus of water and land, but no fish ponds (because of possibility of consumption effect & economic growth effects), find out:
In areas with growing agricultural economies and fish ponds (in use), find out:
- Do farmers have increasingly interesting alternative uses for the inputs they now provide to fish ponds?
- What alternatives are there for modifying the fish culture technology so that the farmer obtains more per hour worked in fish farming, without reducing income from other resources?
- Is specialization in fish farming feasible (to realize some economies of scale)?
Results:
- List of areas for initiating farmers into fish farming;
- List of areas where improved fish culture technologies would make economic sense.
6.1.2 Implementation of programme
Basic
- Farmers do the work.
- Technology partly determined by relative availability of factors of production.
Areas with stagnant economy:
- Inform farmer about prospects of fish farming: he decides whether or not to go in for it.
- No permanent extension as long as economy remains stagnant.
- First priority: Good ponds.
- Second priority: Help fish to reach markets.
- Move on to next area when farmers have been reached.
Figure 15
Selection of priority areas for fish farming introduction and expansion
| Stagnant rural economy | Dynamic rural economy (1) |
Introduce fish farming | (2) | |
Expand fish farming | | (3) |
Areas with growing economies and fish ponds:
(i) Advice meant to increase earnings/man-day
6.1.3 Maintaining activities up to date
- Monitor rural economy
- Developments in fish culture technology
- Developments in fish markets
- Internal audit of effectiveness/efficiency.
6.2.1 Mobilization of funds
- Consumption effect
- Productivity improvements
- Internal Audit
6.2.2 Collaboration with other departments:
- Monitoring of rural economic growth
- Support to agricultural extension
6.3.1 Staff
- Employ aquaculture extension experts to train agricultural extension workers;
- Recruit highly qualified aquaculturists for adapting existing technology to local conditions;
- Be prepared to provide assistance in post-harvest activities (preservation, processing, transport, marketing).
6.3.2 Infrastructure
- Upgrade one fish culture station to top level fish culture research and development unit; less need to have fish culture stations essentially as sources of fingerlings;
- Ensure mobility
6.3.3 Activities
- Leave extension effort to agriculture;
- Conduct research aimed at demonstrating the economic viability of otherwise (environment, social) acceptable aquaculture technology;