AwF and University of Arizona receive farmer-to-farmer aquaculture niche award from US-AID

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AwF and University of Arizona receive farmer-to-farmer aquaculture niche award from US-AID

Category:Updates

We are pleased to announce that the US-AID has awarded $97,528 in a one year grant to administer a Farmer-to-Farmer program sending volunteers to India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and New Caledonia to work with local aquaculture farmers to implement more sustainable farming techniques.  The original proposal can be seen on our projects page (current projects and field activities).  

Volunteers from the global charity Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF) are being selected and matched with farmer groups from developing countries to compare implementation of Best Aquaculture Practices.  The goal is to improve food safety and environmental protection for small scale farmers growing fish, shrimp, crabs, bivalves and seaweeds.  Improving the quality and marketability of seafood products is an equal goal of the project.  The grant will be administered by the University of Arizona as the AwF has no administrative staff or overheads and commits one hundred percent of funds donated directly to projects. Some of the Farmer hosts have collaborated with AwF in the past and others will be new partners.  

The Aquaculture niche program is funding travel for 20 volunteer missions to work with Farmer collaborators in several countries between March 2010 and February 2011.  Host farmers will provide housing and local transportation.  Volunteers will be selected from the AwF volunteer list which reviews professional and regional expertise. Kevin Fitzsimmons (Professor in the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science, Director of International Agriculture Programs at the University of Arizona and AwF Director) is responsible for administration of the program.


1 Comment

Dr.K.N.PRABHUDEVA

May 30, 2010at 11:48 am

It is heart touching that Aquaculture Without Frontier is helping to alleviate poverty through interventions of aquaculture. Recently, I had an opportunity to witness Dr. M.C.Nandeesh’s presentation on his work at Tripura, West Bengal and Nepal. I congratulate him and the AWF for the excellent humanitarian work. Dr.Nandeesh was my senior in the college and a good friend of mine. It gives pleasure to convey here that I too work with poor fish farmers for fast several years, of course i work for the University. These are the poor people, migrated from East Bengal (now Bangaldesh) during Indo-Bangla war, around 600 families, whom the Government of Karnataka, India providing each family with 6 acres of land. Since they are basically bengalies and traditional fish farmers and taken up fish culture in ponds of 0.5 to 1.0 acre. I have trained 80 of them in intesnsive aquaculture and arranged aquaculture crop loan at very low interest rate. The first loan was in the year 2008 to the tune of Rs. 11.0 lakhs. All those who availed laon promptly repaid to bank and the next year the bank sanctioned Rs. 24.0 lakhs. Convinced with their promptness and profitability through aquaculture, the bank this year has snctioned to the tune of Rs. 94.0 lakhs. Many of these poor farmers are leading reasonably good life. Further, I am guiding them to create documents themselves on aquaculture practices including pond size, seed source, stocking density, feeds used, harvest and profit. These people even have set up small feed mill to feed freshwater prawn.
I shall be grateful if AWF could help them to go in for intensive aquaculture there by further extending aquaculture practices to all the 600 families. I look forward for guidance and cooperation in the regards,

I wish the AWF all the best and wish to be a Volunteer member.

With regards

Dr. K.N.PRABHUDEVA
Professor and Head
Fisheries Research and Information Centre
Karnataka Veterinary, Animal and Fisheries Sciences University
10th Cross, Mayura Street
Badrappa Layout, Hebbal Outer Ring Road
BENGALURU – 560 094

Telefax: 080-23516451 (Office)
Phone: 080-28561399 (Home)
Mobile: +919449017554
Email: knprabhudeva@gmail.com
prabhudevakn@yahoo.com

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