AQUACULTURE WITHOUT FRONTIERS

PROJECT PROFORMA

Preliminary applications need only complete Sections 1 & 2.  If a full application is requested, applications will be asked to complete all Sections

Project title:	AwF-RDRS Project: Poverty alleviation through small scale aquaculture
Proponent’s name:	Sattyanarayan Roy
Phone:	++ 88 0521 62893, 62863
Fax:	++ 88 0521 62182
Email:	sattya_roy@yahoo.com
Proponent’s organization:	Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service Bangladesh (RDRS Bangladesh)
Project Number:	Assigned by AwF
Country/ies:	Bangladesh

Administrative Contact:
Title and Name	Dr. Syed Samsuzzaman
Position	Director (Livelihoods)
Organization	Rangpur Dinajpur Rural Service
Phone	++ 88 0521 62893, 62863
Fax	++88 0521 62182
Email	zaman@rdrsrangpur.org
Postal Address	RDRS , Dhap, Zail Road, District – Rangpur, Bangladesh
Street Address	RDRS , Dhap, Zail Road, District – Rangpur, Bangladesh

Funding request (totals for each year)

* 1 US dollar = Tk. 65.00 (BDT)

Currency	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Total
In US Dollar	4923.0	2,384.5	2,461.5	2,615.3	12,384.6
In Bangladesh Tk.	320,000.00	155,000.00	160,000.00	170,000.00	805,000.00

Funding support from contributing agencies/individuals (totals for each year)

Currency	Year 1	Year 2	Year 3	Year 4	Total
In US Dollar	6,923	3,384.6	3,384.6	3,384.6	17,076.9
In Bangladesh Tk.	450,000	220,000	220,000	220,000	11,10,000

Project Duration:	February 2007 to March 2011 ( 4 years)
Proposed Start Date:	February 2007
Proposed Finish Date	March 2011

Key Contacts:  Dr. Syed Samsuzzaman

Project Leader: Partner Country
Title and Name	Sattyanarayan Roy
Position	Programme Manager (Fisheries)
Organization	RDRS Bangladesh
Phone	++ 88 0521 62893, 62863
Fax	++ 0521 62182
Email	sattya_roy@yahoo.com
Postal Address	RDRS , Dhap, Zail Road, District - Rangpur, Bangladesh
Street Address	RDRS , Dhap, Zail Road, District - Rangpur, Bangladesh

Collaborators:
Title and Name	Dr. Benoy Kumar Barman
Position	Coordinator
Organization	World Fish Center, Bangladesh and South Asia Office
Phone	++880-2 8813250
Fax	++880-2 8811151
Email	bbarman@cgiar.org
Postal Address	House 22B, Road 7, Block F, Banani, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh
Street Address	House 22B, Road 7, Block F, Banani, Dhaka 1213, Bangladesh

2.1              Need

Bangladesh is an agricultural based country and the farmers of northern Bangladesh are very poor with limited resources. Crop based livelihoods cannot supply them square meal for their family members. There is a seasonal food crisis for northern people of Bangladesh and this regular hunger in this region called “Monga”. Emphasis has given for rice cultivation but fisheries sector is very much neglected since long. On the other hand, most of the rural resource poor farmers have small ponds [avg. 20 decimal (800 m²)]. These ponds could play a vital role for improving their livelihoods with increased income. The major problems they face and the project intends to address are briefly described below:

Income of the farming people is very poor due to high production cost and poor prices of the product. As a result farmers do not have financial capacity to release fingerlings to stock their ponds in time. So these important resources are under utilized for their livelihoods development.

Inadequate supply of quality inputs- one of the major problem is inadequate supply of quality fish seed the fingerlings to the farmers. Farmers are being looser by stocking less quality fingerlings. Beside, farmers have no knowledge about using lime and supplementary feed for getting good harvest.

Poor access into the technology- government sector has very little capacity to extend support for fish culture to the poor farmers. Lack of information as well as skill training and knowledge, and follow up support is absent to get them good harvest from ponds.

2.2              Objectives

The major objective of this project is to alleviate poverty of the resource poor farmers through fish culture by introducing improved fish culture technology in the ponds

The specific objectives are as follows:

Ø      To increase income of the resource poor farmers

Ø      To increase fish production through timely and adequate supply of quality inputs (fish seed, feed etc).

Ø      To increase awareness of the people about improved fish culture.   

Methods (summary for each objective)

The farmers will be selected from resource poor farmers having pond. Pre and post baseline survey will be conducted for socio-economic status of the participated families of the project.

The selected farmers will be given pond site training. After training the ponds will be prepared and stocked with quality fingerlings in time. Fertilizer will be applied into the ponds based on water quality as well as productivity of planktons. Supplementary fish feed will be administered at 2-3 % of fish body weight. Fish growth will be monitored monthly basis. Partial fish harvesting will be done and restocking the ponds with required fingerlings. The staff will monitor the farmer’s ponds regularly. The fingerling rearers will be trained on quality fingerling production. They will be linked with recognized fish hatchery for quality fish spawn. Emphasis will be given for over wintering fingerlings. So early stocking will be ensured.

Field days will be arranged at pond site for developing awareness of the people who have ponds. Training materials and leaflets will be developed for up scaling the fish culture technology. Government and private sectors practitioners will be invited in the field days and workshops.         

Outputs (specify for each objective)

Ø      The annual income increased at least Tk 2000.00 of each of the involved families.

Ø      At least 95 % of the targeted ponds stocked with quality fingerlings in time and harvest 8-9 kg fish per decimal (8-9 kg/40 m²) water bodies.

Ø      At least two field days and two stakeholders’ workshops arranged within project period.

Benefits

Implementing this project will increase women and children participation into their household income generating activities by increased knowledge and skill on fish culture. Thus they will contribute in decisions making in family level. This will be a process of empowering women within family as well as community level. Proper utilization the ponds will give extra income to the families. By this increased income they will purchase food for their family in the seasonal food crisis period (Monga). Family fish consumption will be increased that will support family nutrition. With increased income, education support will be improved. The environment friendly culture technology will not damage natural environment rather will improve it.  

3.1       Background and Justification

Bangladesh is a land of river and ponds. Man made hazards and natural climatic degradation has damages the fisheries sector as a whole. Besides intensification of crop sector by using indiscriminate use of pesticide and insecticides has damaged the natural fisheries resources resulted scarcity of open water fishes. The people of northern part of Bangladesh are poorer than any other part. These resource poor farmers face seasonal food crisis named “monga” regularly. It is a long sorrow for the people of this region. Emphasis on crop diversification cannot support them year round food security for their family. There is no alternative employment opportunity to sale their labor also. This situation falls hungry living of their family. On the hand farmers have their small ponds but have no supports for proper as well as improved fish culture in these ponds. The creation of alternative agricultural interventions in fish culture might be the hopes for improve livelihoods of the resource poor farmers. Not only the income but also the family nutrition status will be increased through increased fish intake.

Resource poor farmers have very poor or no capacity to invest money into their ponds. Agricultural production from their small piece of land cannot provide them sufficient family food in the whole year. So they do not have any surplus income, which they can invest to their ponds.

Lack of quality fish seed is another problem for fish culture in this region. The pond owners do not get various kinds of species for different layers of pond-system. The fry traders are the only sources of fingerlings supply and they push less quality fries to farmers. Timely fingerlings supply is another problem that leads shorter culture period. All these result less fish production.

Technology as well as extension support is completely absent to the resource poor farmers. The government has very less manpower to extend supports. Farmers do not have accessibility into the knowledge and skill for improved fish culture. 

Project Context (relationship to other activities).

Number of ponds excavated by the assistance WFP and IFADEP. But these ponds do not have culture support regarding inputs like financial, skill training, fingerlings etc. and ultimately these resources are underutilized. This project will support only limited number of ponds in view to develop a sustainable fish culture system in this area. Linkage between fish hatchery, fingerlings rearers and growers will be strengthened. Thus harvesting and marketing channel will be developed for good price of produced fish. Employment creation will be increased in the backward and forward linkages of fish culture production chain. Mostly the ponds are closed to the farmer’s house. The women and children could easily be managed these ponds by giving feed, growth monitoring etc.  

3.2       Detailed Methods/Strategy (specify for each objective)

1)      A total of 60 ponds will be selected from Kurigram & Lalmonirhat district. A base line survey on socio-economic condition of the selected farmers will be conducted at the beginning of the project. Al the expenses regarding fish culture will be recorded for each pond. Family fish consumption will also be recorded for knowing the actual fish production. The post baseline survey will also be conducted after completion production cycle on yearly basis.   

2)      Manager (Fisheries) of RDDS and government Fishery Officer jointly will conduct pond site training. These are pond preparation, pond fertilization, feeding, growth monitoring, liming, fingerling stocking, marketing etc. Fingerlings rearers will be trained for quality fingerlings production and linked with recognized fish hatchery for quality fish spawn in time. Emphasis will be given for over wintering fingerlings. Fish growers will be linked with the trusted fry traders. The stocking ponds will be prepared by March-April and will be stocked within May-June. Fertilizer will be applied into the ponds based on water quality as well as productivity of planktons. Supplementary fish feed will be administered at 2-3 % of fish body weight. Monthly fish growth will be monitored. Partial fish harvesting will be done and restocking the ponds with required fingerlings will be ensured. The inputs cost will be revolved in the second year to the same farmers. Thus in the third year this inputs cost will be used for new farmers. Through this a sustainable model will be developed in this region.  Manger (Fisheries) will supervise these ponds on regularly basis.

3)      The field days will be arranged at pond site for developing awareness as well as technology dissemination for the farmers who have ponds. Training materials and leaflets will be developed and disseminated for up scaling the fish culture technology. The government official will also be invited for training sessions and field visit. The workshops will be arranged for government and private sectors practitioners of this region for further extension in other region.

3.3       Methods and Outputs Table

Objectives	Methods/Activity	Outputs	Timeline
To increase annual income of the pond farmers.	Selection of 60 ponds from resource poor farmers.   Socio-economic baseline would be conducted.	A total 60 ponds selected.   Pre and Post baseline conducted   Annual family income increased Tk 2000.00.	Farmer selection by Feb-March 2007 Pre baseline by April 2006 & post baseline by January 2008
To increase fish production through timely and increased supply of quality inputs (fish seed, feed etc).	Arrange pond site training on pond preparation, liming, stocking, quality fingerlings identification, fertilization, feeding, harvesting and marketing<