The main constraints to the development of Household Farm Systems as identified by the mission are presented in Table 8.
Problems confronting fish farmers are related to the constraints listed in Table 8. Many ponds were not stocked or were under-stocked because of lack of fingerlings and the effects of the 1987–88 drought. The pond productivity was low on account of:
bad site selection
poor pond construction (small, too shallow, dikes too week and too steep)
inadequate and wrong management practices (continuous water flow, continuous harvesting of all big fish)
uncontrolled stocking densities
quantities of applied feeds and fertilizer too small
theft
predation by otters
water acidity.
Lack of knowledge caused by an inadequately functioning extension service lies at the root of 1, 2, 3, 4 and partly 5 above. Lack of labour may lie at the root of 2. Low use of inputs lies at the root of 5. The lack of transport can be considered as a marketing problem, causing the lack of fingerlings and lack of feeds and fertilizers. Socio-cultural factors play a role in No. 6 and ecological factors are at the root of Nos. 7 and 8.
Households strive to produce a continuous food supply and many of their other needs such as clothing, shelter and surpluses for sale. The household has to integrate its resources to conduct the various activities.
The household resources, comprising land, labour, technology and capital, determine to a great extent the development opportunities available.
Land
Land availability is not a problem in Luapula.
Labour
Labour is a serious limiting factor in most households. The composition of the household, the sexual division of labour, the possibilities of hiring or exchanging external labour and the labour planning all determine development opportunities.
Technology
The low level of technology, primarily relating to hoes and axes, is a major constraint to expansion of agriculture production. Improved technology could help tackle such constraints.
Capital
Mobilizing capital for investment is one of the major constraints that farm households face.
TABLE 8 - Constraints of The Farm Household Systems
| CONSTRAINTS | POSSIBLE CAUSES | EFFECTS |
| Lack of training | Low educational level | Poor use of production technology |
| No vocational education | Low production | |
| Poor extension and training services | Poor search of alternatives | |
| Low income | ||
| Lack of labour | The family is busy | Low production |
| Poor planning | Low income | |
| Health problems | ||
| Low availability of labour | ||
| High price of labour | ||
| Lack of capital | ||
| Low use of inputs | Lack of inputs | No production |
| Lack of transport | Low yields | |
| Lack of credits | Low income | |
| Lack of knowledge | ||
| Lack of capital | ||
| Insufficient marketing | Lack of demand | No production |
| Poor road networks | Low production | |
| Lack of transport | Enough only for local population | |
| Low income | ||
| Capital | Lack of knowledge | Lack of money for:- |
| Lack of power | ||
| Low use of inputs | - Inputs | |
| Insufficient marketing | - Labour | |
| Lack of available land | - Transport | |
| Low prices | - Implements | |
| Lack of credits | - Investment | |
| Traditions |
Policy/Institutional factors
Development opportunities are influenced by government policy. The emphasis on cash crops stimulates total production but does not necessarily improve household food security.
Good roads and transport facilities are essential to market agricultural products. As long as this problem is not solved, farmers will continue to face serious constraints in marketing their surpluses and getting their inputs.
Access to credit and co-operatives is another important factor.
Zambia has a system for credit and co-operatives but both class and gender considerably determine access to it. The same holds good for the agricultural extension system, which is trying to overcome shortcomings in reaching poorer farmers and women. Till recently, extension in fish farming was hardly functioning. Women who contribute most of the labour for agricultural production receive little attention from policy-makers.
Socio-cultural factors
The traditional kinship system is based on the distribution of resources and the mutual obligations to exchange goods and services. Equality between kinship members is achieved through various levelling mechanisms.
In many countries, these kinship obligations are strong, and may hamper development. Opportunities provided by the market economy tend to weaken kinship bonds and offer scope for individual progress.
The sexual division of labour has become more unbalanced because of a chronic shortage of male labour and the emphasis on cash crops during the last few years.
The public domain, being traditionally a male preserve, gives men more access to information and to social networks --both necessary to participate in the market economy.
To integrate means to combine parts into a whole. Integrated farming means combining production sub-systems in order to obtain a full output which satisfies the needs of the household. In non-integrated farming systems more inputs originating outside the farm are needed, and wastes or by-products are not recycled.
The main characteristic of an integrated production system is by-product recycling.
However, improved space utilization, in which two systems occupy part of all of the space required for one sub-system, may be an important aspect of increased productivity (Edwards et al 1988).
The risks associated with farming are spread because of the greater diversity of products. Other advantages of the integration are: the possibility of a more balanced diet for the family; a better ecological balance, including soil conservation and improvement; more efficient use of labour.
The final output of an integrated system should be evaluated in monetary or quantitative terms as the total benefits for the household. Figure 4 shows the flow of material, capital and labour in a well integrated system.
From Chapter 3 it can be concluded that there is a low level of integration between fish ponds and other production sub-systems in the farm household system in the Province.
The Chitemene system is labour-intensive since it is often at a long distance from the homestead. The system lacks ecological balance and leads to deforestation and soil erosion. Households waste a lot of time collecting firewood. The firewood shortage hurts fishermen who need it to smoke fish.
Improvements to the Chitemere system and to firewood collection should make more time available, which can be used in other more productive activities.
Extension services have an important role to play in improving the farming system. There is a big need to reach farmers with solutions to their technical problems, after obtaining their participation in identifying these problems. Agroforestry, recycling of farm by-products, intercropping, cultivation of pond dykes and introduction of time saving technology will help to increase soil fertility, reduce the need for chemical fertilizers and increase the amount of animal and fish feeds on the farm. Increased production with fewer costs would be the overall result for the farm household. Fish farming being a new system in the province, it faces specific problems such as drought, otters, theft, water acidity and lack of a functioning extension service. Integration of fish farming into other farming activities can improve the system. It can be concluded from the analysis of the FHHS that there are ways to utilize better by-products from cassava, maize, rice, finger-millet, vegetable and fruit production. Household ashes can be used to neutralize acid waters. It is also possible to combine irrigation of the “garden” and water flow to the ponds.
FIG. 4 - Flow of Resources in an Integrated Farm/Household System
The following possibilities could be studied and tried:
Three different types of farmers were visited:
Farmers living on a solitary farm producing several cash crops and owning several fish ponds. They have had paid jobs before, or still receive cash from off-farm activities. They hire labour and have received extension training on farming and fish farming. They live close to main roads or are able to arrange their own transport so that they are not affected by problems of marketing and delivery inputs.
Farmers living in communities with a limited area of cultivated land and with a limited surplus gained from cash crops. They live close to other fish farmers, who often are relatives. They face problems with supply of inputs and marketing. They are, to a large extent, self-sufficient and only partly engaged in the market economy.
Fishermen farmers living in Samfya district close to Bangweulu lake. They own small farms with crops mainly used for home consumption. Reasons given for fish farming are lack of relish, especially in seasons when the lake is closed and fish catch is declining.
Approximately 50% of the households which own fish ponds are situated around Chibote. Fish farming in this area has spread, on its own, without any major support or advice from the DoF since the training given in 1987. The low pond production reported by the farmers can be related partly to lack of knowledge on proper pond siting, construction and management by most owners. To avoid the present enthusiasm changing to massive disappointment and abandoning of fish farming, project inputs need to be concentrated in this area.
