Empowering Artisanal Fish Farmers: Training in Financial Management and Revolving Funds for 27 Participants

A total of 27 artisanal fish farmers underwent training in financial management and revolving funds. The Marine and Coastal Research Institute (INVEMAR) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) organized two workshops in April as part of their efforts to strengthen the capacities of small-scale fish farmers under the SocPro4Fish project.

The workshops were conducted in collaboration with the Asociación de Productores Agropecuarios y Piscícolas del Ariari (ASPROAPIAR) in El Dorado, Meta, and in the village of El Corozo, Córdoba. The participants had the opportunity to learn about various financial aspects such as market functioning, budgeting, cash flow, profitability, revolving funds, and project formulation.

Moreover, the workshops served as a platform to elucidate how these associations effectively manage collective resources to support one another. The training sessions were attended by eight members from ASPROAPIAR and 19 members from ASOPROAVECOR. The selection of these themes was based on the associations' self-diagnosis, which helped identify their specific areas of improvement.

The primary objective of these trainings is to gather valuable insights from local communities engaged in aquaculture activities. These insights will aid in identifying gaps and opportunities, which will then be presented and discussed during the territorial roundtables of the Inter-institutional Group for Fisheries and Aquaculture (GIPRO) in each department. Additionally, the outcomes will be shared at the upcoming National GIPRO meeting scheduled for May 9, 2023.