Simple aquaculture training for rural development in Zimbabwe

A summary is provided of a course introduced in 1987 at the Chaminuka Training Centre in Zimbabwe for training in rural aquaculture. The recruitment of trainees, aquaculture and rural development, the curriculum and practical training are outlined.

Socioeconomic factors that influence the adoption of small-scale rural fish farming at household level in Zimbabwe

The study compares the socioeconomic profile of fish and nonfish farming households in three different agroecological regions in Zimbabwe. Some of the direct socioeconomic factors that influence the adoption of small-scale fish farming in the areas are also identified.

Involvement of rural women in aquaculture: an innovative approach

Although women have proved to be competent in adopting new aquaculture technologies, their role is very much restricted and often ignored. One of the major reasons is the location of aquaculture sites and several sociocultural taboos against women who strive to earn for their family’s subsistence in rural areas. There is a gender bias in many aquaculture activities. To ensure that women utilize their full potential in profitable activities like aquaculture, it is necessary to provide capacity building support to rural women, which will eventually lead to their empowerment. In countries like India, the technology provided to women must take into account cultural aspects. One such project - backyard ornamental fish breeding and management - has been found to offer immense scope for improving the livelihood of rural women. This paper gives some practical tips for dissemination of technology in the rural sector, particularly to rural women.

Estudar à noite e trabalhar de dia: desafios de quem deseja prosseguir com os estudos no Instituto Multidisciplinar da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro em Nova Iguaçu.

É urgente a necessidade da maior inclusão social dos estudantes que articulam a rotina de trabalho diurno e a educação formal noturna, objetivando melhorar as condições de vida através de aumentar oportunidades no mercado de trabalho. Por ser tema de extrema relevância social, a presente pesquisa busca compreender os desafios de alunos matriculados em cursos de Ensino Superior noturno no Instituto Multidisciplinar da Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, destacando o processo de democratização do acesso e a permanência de jovens de camadas populares em quatro cursos de graduação. Descrevemos políticas públicas de acesso e de permanência dos estudantes nos cursos superiores noturnos de Pedagogia, História, Matemática e Administração, tendo em vista contribuir com a discussão da real efetividade destes cursos para a democratização da educação superior. O procedimento metodológico é a investigação qualitativa em estudo de caso. Nesta pesquisa, foram contatadas pessoas chave da universidade, aplicados 361 questionários e entrevistados 39 alunos de quatro cursos escolhidos. Os resultados relacionados aos fatores sociais que impõem o caráter compulsório do trabalho ao estudante universitário confirmaram que o jovem, dos cursos noturnos estudados deste Instituto Multidisciplinar, em geral, tem dificuldades de gerenciar sua vida para contemplar as diversas demandas, isto é, as sociais, familiares, educacionais e laborais. O jovem estudado costuma ter um perfil de vulnerabilidade socioeconômica. Os resultados também mostram em alguns discursos dos entrevistados alguns desafios de conciliar o curso noturno com a vida de trabalho. Assim, os resultados também revelam a necessidade de que mais recursos sejam destinados a programas com alunos com o perfil de vulnerabilidade socioeconômica. Apesar do perfil heterogêneo dos alunos desta pesquisa, os resultados apontam também que muitos aproveitam a oportunidade de continuidade de escolarização conciliando o trabalho diurno com a educação noturna. A opção destes por cursos de licenciaturas, como os de Matemática, História e Pedagogia, é atrativa pela maior facilidade de acesso devido a serem carreiras menos disputadas no ingresso à universidade pública. Embora a profissão docente em nossa sociedade não ofereça elevado prestígio social, ter a formação e o diploma de Ensino Superior ainda é para muitos jovens, uma possível trajetória que pode levar a mobilidade social. Assim, as políticas públicas precisam melhor atender os jovens deste segmento populacional que deseja estudar e trabalhar com educação.

O direito do agronegócio e o regime do direito da cidade (cidade-média): o seu impacto na integração e no desenvolvimento sustentável dos espaços rural e urbano análise sob a perspectiva do estatuto da cidade

Neoconstitucionalismo. Pós-modernidade. Eficácia da dignidade da pessoa humana. Efetividade dos direitos fundamentais sociais e políticas públicas. Diálogo entre o direito agário, direito ambiental e direito urbanístico na Constituição da República Federativa do Brasil de 1988. Histórico legislativo, competência e princípios informadores. Princípios constitucionais como elementos de conexão para a adequada harmonização entre o Meio Ambiente, a Política Agrária e Política Urbana Constitucional. Princípio federativo e autonomia municipal. Neofederalismo cooperativo compensatório subsidiário. Tipicidade aberta do recorte territorial das unidades federativas. A cidade-média agrária (agronegócio) como técnica urbanística para integração e sustentabilidade entre os espaços urbano e rural e na cooperação / associação entre municípios. Direito Agrário e o Direito do Agronegócio. Autonomia e evolução dogmática. O Direito do Agronegócio como a nova dimensão do Direito Agrário Pós-Moderno. O patriotismo agroambiental unificador dos interesses cosmopolitas e locais. Agropolis: a cidade-média feliz do agronegócio, política nacional de agricultura rural-urbano e os desafios da integração dos espaços rural e urbana na cidade. Direito do Agronegócio e o regime do direito da cidade. Os instrumentos específicos e inespecíficos da ordenação territorial da cidade.

Small-scale aquaculture for rural livelihoods: Proceedings of the Symposium on Small-scale aquaculture for increasing resilience of Rural Livelihoods in Nepal. 5-6 Feb 2009. Kathmandu, Nepal

Over the years, aquaculture has developed as one of the fastest growing food production sectors in Nepal. However, local fish supplies have been extremely inadequate to meet the ever increasing demand in the country. Nepal imports substantial quantities of fish and fish products from India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and elsewhere. Integration of pond aquaculture in existing crop-livestock-based farming system is believed to be effective in increasing local fish supply and diversifying livelihood options of a large number of small-holder farmers in southern plains (terai) and mid-hill valleys, thereby also increasing resilience of rural livelihoods. There is growing appreciation of the role of small-scale aquaculture in household food and nutrition security, income generation, and empowerment of women and marginalized communities. This book includes a total of 25 papers presented at the ‘Symposium on Small-scale Aquaculture for Increasing Resilience of Rural Livelihoods in Nepal’, held in Kathmandu on 5-6 February 2009. The papers cover technological, social, economic and environmental aspects of small-scale aquaculture development emerged from research and development initiatives of governmental, non-governmental and international research organizations in recent decad

A Região Noroeste Fluminense e o Projeto Rio Rural: Tendências e problemas da agricultura familiar

O objetivo deste trabalho é analisar o processo de regionalização do noroeste fluminense através das ações verticalidade sob controle do Estado. Verifica-se especificamente, o posicionamento da sociedade civil organizada e as relações de poder envolvidas diante de tais inferencias racionalizadoras do espaço, e de que forma esse posicionamento pode redimencionar o ordenamento espacial que se impõe através das hegemonias de poder. Entre as abordagens ao tema, o trabalho considera, primeiramente, o processo de regionalização do noroeste fluminense por meio de relações socioespaciais pretéritas a fundação da região enquanto unidade administrativa. Para além das atuais fronteiras da região em questão, o trabalho destaca o controle do Estado pelas frentes catequizadoras e colonizadoras, sobre o território dos Puri, Coroado e Coropó. A segunda intermediação do trabalho ao tema diz respeito à ação de atores locais, ligados principalmente a grandes pecuaristas, na luta por autonomia econômica em relação a Campos dos Goytacazes; que em suas relações de poder com o Estado do Rio de Janeiro desencadeiam a instituição político-administrativa do noroeste fluminense. Sucessivamente o trabalho grifa a atribuição de características regionais a área de estudo como: pobreza rural e representatividade da agricultura familiar, relacionadas a ações de intelectuais orgânicos locais para direcionar verbas do Governo Federal ao setor agropecuário. A terceira parte do trabalho incorpora ao tema a descentralização da gestão municipal/regional por parte de políticas de planejamento territorial como o Rio Rural. Visto que ações de verticalidade do Governo do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, através do Projeto Rio Rural, intervém no ordenamento sócio-econômico-espacial da região principalmente através do modo de produção da agricultura familiar, a problemática se estenderia ao posicionamento político dessa categoria, enquanto sociedade civil organizada; para consideração final das tendências estabelecidas pela agricultura familiar ao ordenamento espacial regional

Informal fish retailing in rural Egypt: Opportunities to enhance income and work conditions for women and men

Poor rural consumers benefit from Egypt’s aquaculture sector through access to small and medium-sized farmed tilapia sold by informal fish retailers, many of whom are women. In fact, informal fish retail is the main, if not only, segment of the farmed fish value chain where women are found. This report aims to inform current and future strategies to improve conditions in informal fish retail by understanding in more depth the similarities and differences in employment quality and outcomes across different fish retailers. It is particularly focused on identifying whether and how gender inequality influences different dimensions of the work, and whether women and men have similar outcomes and employment conditions. This knowledge will help to design interventions to overcome gender-based constraints, as well as approaches that address shared obstacles and include both women and men in gender-responsive ways to ensure that all of those involved in the sector benefit.

Making agri-food systems work for the rural poor in eastern and southern Africa

The purpose of this output was to use the results of the baseline and participatory diagnostics analysis to develop alternative innovations for agricultural production, natural resource management and food security. The farming systems in the project areas were analysed to identify the innovations that communities had been using for agricultural production, natural resource management and food security. The innovative strategies were examined for their contribution to sustainable agriculture, food security and natural resource management. Comparative analysis of the agricultural productivity, food security and natural resource management in the different areas where the innovations have been put in place was undertaken. The best practices would be identified, which should be scaled-up, modified or sustained. The willingness and perceptions of the farmers to adopt the innovations would then be assessed.

A study on rural women's empowerment through participation in aquaculture

The study was undertaken to understand the rural women's (i) extent of participation in some selected aquaculture practices and (ii) extent of empowerment through participation in aquaculture program. Data were collected from 200 selected rural women of two districts - Sherpur and Kishoreganj. Each of the families where the selected rural women who were involved in aquaculture under the supervision of two partner NGOs of DSAP, namely- Foundation for Human Development (FHD) and Center for Rural and Environmental Development (CRED). Both conventional and participatory methods of data collection were employed where structured questionnaire and Focus Group Discussion (FGD) were used as the tools. The data collection procedure took five-months spanning from September 2004 to January 2005. Appropriate scales were developed and used in order to determine the focus variables of the study, while most analyses regarding women empowerment were done using 'before' and 'after' method. Empowerment of women was measured by five dimensions such as decision making ability, spending ability, social participation, cosmopoliteness, access to assets and resources. The ten selected aquaculture practices were: fish feeding, eradication of aquatic vegetation from fish pond, disease detection, application of fertilizer, liming, harvesting of fry and fish, fish stock management, pond excavation, use of insecticides, and sale of fry and fish. The study also aimed at determining some selected characteristics of rural women and determining relationship between their extent of empowerment and the selected characteristics. The characteristics of rural women included: age, personal education, average family education, family size, family farm size, area under aquaculture, extension media exposure, training exposure, knowledge in aquaculture, and family income. The findings revealed an overall low level of participation by rural women in aquaculture activities. However, significant level of improvement was identified regarding overall status of empowerment during the course of participation in aquaculture program under DSAP.

Marketing of value-added products from silver carp and involvement of rural people in the production and marketing chain

Cost-profit analysis and market testing of some value-added products from silver carp such as fish mince block, fish sausage, fish ball, fish stick and fish burger were analyzed during April 2001 to March 2002. The study also explored the possibility to involve rural low-income people in the production and marketing of such products. The production of silver carp was higher in greater Jessore and Mymensingh districts but the price remained low during the peak-harvesting season in October to November. The price varied with size of the fish, season, market characteristics and effective demand of the buyers. Price of about 500 g size fish was found to be Tk. 20-25/kg in the rural markets. The average size of fish in the rural markets was 3S0-550 g while that in the urban markets it was 700-1,200 g. The cost of production of the value added products and profit margin were assessed on the basis of market price of the raw material as well as that of the finished products, transportation, storage and marketing costs. The profit margins of 34%, 39%, 81% and 31% of their sales price were obtained for fish sausage, fish ball, fish stick and fish burger, respectively. Actual production cost could be minimized if the fish is purchased directly from the farmers. Consumer's acceptance and marketability tests showed that both rural and urban people preferred fish ball than fish sausage. However, response towards the taste, flavor and color of fish ball and fish sausage was found to vary with occupations and age of the consumers. A correlation was observed between age group and acceptance of new products. Fish ball, fish stick and fish burger were found to be the most preferable items to the farmers because of easy formulation process with common utensils. Good marketing linkage and requirement of capital had been identified as the prerequisites for operating small-scale business on value-added fish products.

Health and disease status of Thai pangas, Pangasius hypophthalmus cultured in rural ponds of Mymensingh, Bangladesh

Thai pangas, Pangasius hypophthalmus is one of the important aquaculture species in Bangladesh. Over the last few years spectacular development has been taking place in Thai pangas farming in Mymensingh district. Due to availability of easy breeding and culture techniques as well as quick return, more and more people are converting their rice fields into pangas farms overnight. The present study was carried out to examine health and disease status of Thai pangas mainly through clinical, histopathological and bacteriological techniques. In addition, for collecting primary data on disease and health status of Thai pangas and the resultant socioeconomic impacts on rural households, questionnaire interview and participatory rural appraisal tools were used with selected farming households in three upazilas of Mymensingh district. The most prevalent diseases as reported by the farmers were red spot, followed by anal protrusion, tail and fin rot, pop eye, dropsy and gill rot. Other conditions like cotton wool type lesion, ulceration and white spot were reported but with lower incidence. Four isolates of Aeromonas hydrophila were recovered from kidney and lesion of diseased fish. Hemorrhage over the body especially near mouth and caudal region was noticed in the fishes associated with aeromonad infection. Internally, kidney, liver and spleen became swollen and enlarged. The isolates varied with their pathogenicity. All the four isolates were sensitive to Nitrofurantoin, Cotrimoxazole and Tetracycline but were resistant to Amoxycilline. An attempt was made to treat diseased fish with extracts from neem leaf, garlic and turmeric. Recovery of infection was monitored through mortality and histopathology. General histopathological changes of different organs were also studied. Extract from neem (Azadirachta indica) leaf gave better result. Telangiectasis, lamellar hypertrophy and hyperplasia hemorrhage, lamellar fusion, necrosis of lamellar epithelial cells, presence of parasites and their cysts were the major pathology of gills. Hemorrhagic lesion, pyknotic nuclei and melanomacrophage centers (MMC) were found in the liver of fish. Major pathologies in kidney of fish included presence of MMC, necrotic and ruptured kidney tubules, severe haemopoietic necrosis, and hemorrhage. The economic loss due to disease in Thai pangas farming was estimated from the difference between expected production and actual production. On an average, Thai pangas farmers of Mymensingh incur a loss of Tk. 23,104/ha/cycle due to fish disease (3.6% of expected total production). The loss, however, varied with location and size of farms, type of farmers and management practices. The study also highlighted fish health management related problems and recommended further work for the development of user-friendly farmer-oriented fish health management packages.