PREPARATION OF THIS DOCUMENT

This field document presents the results of an assessment of the introduction of the field day extension approach to fish farming development in Western Kenya. The work was carried out in 1995 in Western, Nyanza, and Rift Valley Provinces of Kenya under the auspices of the Lake Basin Development Authority in collaboration with the FAO Technical Cooperation Programme TCP/KEN/4551 (T) “Support to Small Scale Rural Aquaculture in Western Kenya“. The paper is primarily addressed to the project staff, and other workers in the field who may encounter similar situations. The work was undertaken by the entire Fisheries Division of Lake Basin Development Authority.

Abstract

Campbell, D.,1995. The impact of the field day extension approach on the development of fish farming in selected areas of Western Kenya. TCP/KEN/4551 (T) Field Document No 1. Kisumu, Kenya.

This paper presents the results of an impact survey undertaken in 1995 to assess the field day approach to fish farming extension in Western Kenya. Previous fish farming development projects had used the “training and visit” approach to fish farming for 8 years. The field day approach was introduced in 1994. In 1995, a series of 11 field days were held on specific topics in each of 13 selected areas of Western Kenya where there were a total 677 practicing fish farmers. The annual rate of recruitment for new fish farmers quadrupled in the sampled areas in 2 years. An average of 30% of the farmers attended each field day in each area. Following this series, a survey showed that between 70 % and 90 % of the farmers who had attended a particular field day had improved their management techniques and were able to answer detailed questions on the specific topic. For those farmers who had attended 3 or more field days but missed that particular topic, between 24 % and 84 % were able to correctly answer detailed questions on all field day topics, demonstrating inter-farmer exchange of information. Of those farmers who had attended 3 or more field days, 30% were expanding their fish ponds and 41 % were effecting repairs. The cost of training a farmer through a series of field days was half that of formal courses. The paper concludes that the field day approach of fish farming development is viable in Western Kenya and recommends that it be expanded.

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