Mr M. Halwart introduced the International Year of Rice 2004 (IYR), an UN initiative which is intended to promote improved production and access to this vital food crop, which feeds more than half of the world population while providing income for millions of rice producers, processors and traders. The development of sustainable rice-based systems will reduce hunger and poverty and contribute to environmental conservation and a better life for present and future generations for whom "Rice is Life". It was pointed out that this initiative encourages countries to develop guidelines and approaches for national policies for sustainable development of rice and rice-based production systems, to develop educational and training material on IYR related issues for distribution to educational, vocational training, and technical institutions, to establish networking mechanisms for information dissemination and for monitoring the implementation of activities, and to formulate and initiate national projects. All this is very relevant for IIA activities in rice-based ecosystems. Attention was drawn to the IYR website www.rice2004.org which contains the concept paper, a global events calendar, a news update, international, regional and national activities, global contests as well as various information products.
A comparative economic analysis of rice, fish and rice-fish culture in Madagascar, originally prepared by Mr R. van Anrooy and Mr N. Hishamunda, was presented by Ms C. Brugere. The case study was used to illustrate the "theory" of economic analysis presented the day before. Background information on aquaculture development in Madagascar was given before methodological details, farm information, results of analysis and interpretation were provided. The data collected was presented according to the framework presented the day before and an example of analysis, following the "enterprise budget technique" was shown. Focus was placed on the economic performance of rice-fish farming, although details of the other two systems were available in the supporting paper.
Mr M. Prein shared his experience from parts of Asia where during the rainy season in extensive river floodplains and deltaic lowlands, floods lasting several months render the land unavailable for crop production for several months each year. These waters are considerably underutilized in terms of managed aquatic productivity. This raises the opportunity to enclose parts of these floodwater areas to produce a crop of specifically stocked aquatic organisms aside from the naturally occurring 'wild' species that are traditionally fished and are not affected by the culture activity, overall resulting in more high-quality, nutrient-dense food production and enhanced farm income for all stakeholders, notably the poor. The WorldFish Center and its national partners recently tested the concurrent rice-fish culture in the shallower flooded areas and the alternating rice and fish culture in the deep-flooded areas of Bangladesh and Viet Nam through a community-based management system. Results indicate that community-based fish culture in rice fields can increase fish production by about 600 kg/ha/year in shallow flooded areas and up to 1.5 tonnes/ha/year in deep-flooded areas, without reduction in rice yield and wild fish catch.
Mr J. Miller noted that the benefits of IIA to rural farmers in Nigeria have been well documented during the past twenty years and include increased yields, improved water management with multiple use of water, heightened synergies, increased revenues and poverty reduction. Due to the limitations of agricultural extension services in the country, there has been little effort at increasing public awareness for the viable integration of agricultural activities with aquaculture. However, this situation is changing with the paradigm shift towards a private sector-driven economy. Projects are now in place to encourage integrated agriculture-aquaculture enterprises. A national survey in 1995 concluded that around 50 percent of all fish farms evaluated practiced some form of integration with poultry, pigs, rabbits, sheep, goats, or cattle. In the presentation, special mention was made of the potential for integrated rice-fish farming in irrigated and rainfed lowland rice currently covering about 16 and 48 percent of the total rice land, respectively, however pointing to the lack of clear land ownership rights as one of the key problems to be addressed.
Mr D. Sanni called attention to key issues raised during the last three presentations and opened up a debate on related issues:
Higher net revenue procured by rice-fish farming as compared to net revenue obtained from rice production or wild fish catch only.
Impact of fish farming integrated in rice fields on rice yield and malaria reduction.
Application conditions of Asian experience in West Africa (e.g. Central Delta of the Niger River).
A landscape approach considering upstream-downstream integration of water resources management and aquaculture.
In addition, participants made a recommendation to obtain support from the WorldFish Centre to establish a regional protocol for applied research in rice-fish farming. They had also commented about the fact that experience on rice-fish farming in mangrove swamps (Senegal) was not reported at the workshop.
The participants were divided per key environment, i.e. inland valley bottoms and floodplains (partial water control) and full-control irrigation schemes (total water control). Resource persons from FAO HQ, RAFA and international research organisations were present to facilitate group work and reporting processes. The multi-country working groups, constituted on the basis of the three key irrigated environments, reported on existing constraints for the development of integrated irrigation-aquaculture and proposed measures to address them. Environmental, technical, institutional, economic and social issues were addressed (Appendix 7A-C).
Country groups were formed to conceptualize and elaborate draft national plans of action. These plans were summarized by each group focussing on key parameters such as development objectives, measurable indicators, priority areas, timeframes, agencies responsible for IIA development and potential technical support agencies (Appendix 8).
