NORMATIVE FRAMEWORK

SPECIAL PROGRAMME FOR FOOD SECURITY PROJECT FORMAT

DIVERSIFICATION OF PRODUCTION SYSTEMS COMPONENT

"Integration of Aquaculture and Agriculture"

INTRODUCTION

The project formulator officer should prepare a brief summary of overall aquaculture activities in the country, in particular with reference to rural aquaculture practices.

RATIONALE

Aquaculture component/sub-component of SPFS
The project formulator should clarify how the inclusion of an aquaculture component/sub-component in the Special Programme for Food Security project will contribute income generation in support of household food security in the country.

Examples for Integration of Aquaculture and Agriculture:

1. Integration of Aquaculture with Livestock Rearing. The approach is to manage ponds which are built for water storage and for livestock drinking also for production of fish in a synergic way. The recycling of organic wastes from livestock would contribute to enhance the natural productivity of the water in the ponds, thus permitting high fish stocking densities and higher fish production. The selection of fish species for this model privileges those which feed on plankton or detritus. These species are frequently cultured together in order to maximize the utilization of natural food available in the pond. Tilapias and various species of carps have been regularly utilized to transform water productivity into edible fish protein. When in addition to the use of the pond for recycling of manure produced by livestock some agricultural by-products or processing wastes have been used, such as rice bran or cakes of various seeds used for oil extraction, fish production has attained annual levels ranging from three to seven tonnes of fish per hectare. Several forms of integration exist, going from association of pig or chicken sties on the sides of the ponds or on stilts in the pond, to selected duck strains which not being piscivorous can coexist with fish fry and fingerlings in the ponds.

2. Integration of Aquaculture with Rice farming. It is estimated that about 20% of the 76 million ha of irrigated ricefields may be considered suitable for fish culture. Even a modest adoption of integrated rice-fish culture system could dramatically increase income and food supply, particularly protein food supplies. Culture of fish in conjunction with rice can yield 50-300 kg/ha/crop. The advantages of this system are that i) fish excreta increase soil fertility and (ii) fish help control insect pests and aquatic weeds. The combined effects of these seem to help increase rice production by as much as 15%. Alternatively, fish can be reared in rotation with the rice crop with yields of 300-3000 kg/ha/crop depending on the intensity of management, and on the climatic conditions prevailing in the location of the rice fields.

3. Rural Fish Ponds. Such ponds can be either used exclusively for fish culture (i.e. not integrated with agriculture) or serve the double purpose of an on-farm irrigation reservoir for orchards and fish pond. The latter increase the efficiency of water use, diversify farm output/reduce risk, and provide additional income and protein food supply. In the case of stand-alone fish ponds, rehabilitation and improved management of existing ponds, and/or construction of new ponds would increase income to farmers. Fish production from both types of ponds will vary depending on inputs and management intensity, ranging from 500 to 5,000 kg/ha/yr.

OBJECTIVES

The objective of the integration of aquaculture in the diversification component of the SPFS is to improve income, increase animal protein food supply, and improve on-farm water use efficiency in support of household food security. This would be achieved through the incorporation, where appropriate, of aquaculture.

DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS

Describe the approach that will be adopted to achieve the objectives and include elements such as:

Indicate the number of years (typically 3 years).

The project will target progressive/entrepreneurial village farmers with access to formal or informal credit and resources, who are willing to invest in new/improved technologies. Special attention will be paid to ensure equitable distribution of responsibilities and benefits should be ensured through procedures such as partial harvesting of fish ponds.

Production technologies should be verified for social acceptability by the communities (e.g. religion/social custom may rule against integrated animal-fish farming).

• Earthen ponds and modified rice plots will be used for production. Pond area will vary among regions (range of 100-200 m2 in Africa; 500-1,000 m2 in Latin America; 0.5-1.0 ha in Asia and East Europe)
• Water supply: gravity; rain-fed
• Local or locally available species omnivorous/herbivorous species will be given priority.
• In cases where fingerlings are not readily available, the project will include small-scale artisanal hatcheries.
  Stocking densities should be calculated to achieve final fish yield of 0.5-5.0 tonnes/ha/year depending on climate and levels of inputs and management.
• Preference will be given to extensive and semi-intensive production practices, utilizing locally available fertilizers and agricultural wastes/by-products.
• When income is the main objective, market characteristics will be investigated to tailor production and investment levels to demand.
• Typical investment per farmer for the selected models for infrastructure and initial operation should range from US$500 (100-200m2 ponds) to US$5,000 (0.5-1.0 ha ponds). In case of modified rice plots, the typical price per hectare could be estimated at $US800.
• Cost of small a-scale carp hatchery producing 5-10 million larvae annually is estimated at $US8,000.

Note: Expansion or reduction of the project budget will be reflected exclusively in an increase or decrease in the number of model farmers, while the above design considerations are kept constant.

• The project will utilize Rapid Rural Apraisal to appraise the feasibility for the introduction/improvement of aquaculture practices in the community.
• An analysis will be carried out of other relevant government-supported activities in the area to define potential synergies/ incompatibilities
• Model farmers and farmers' field schools (demonstrations at master farms) will be utilized as the main extension instrument. Government extension officers (and NGOs present in the area) will be responsible for selection and training of model farmers in collaboration with village committees. The committees will be responsible for the collection of field data from model farms for assessment of the economic benefits and social acceptability/adoption of demonstrated technologies. They will be trained by government extension officers/NGOs for this purpose.
• If income is the main objective from aquaculture, and a large number of model farmers are involved, efforts will be made to encourage co-operation among farmers for joint purchase of inputs and transporting/marketing of production outputs.

DEMONSTRATION AREAS

Describe the selected areas for pilot demonstrations, and briefly explain the criteria for selecting these areas, e.g., high potential, importance in national food supplies; replication ability; availability of suitable technologies for demonstration; interest of the farming community and willingness to participate. Describe procedures followed in selecting demonstration areas, underlining participation of concerned partners, especially farmers and their communities; and briefly indicate the relationship to the expansion areas.

In selecting the areas for aquaculture development, those meeting the following criteria should receive priority:

• areas which meet physical requirements:
  - water availability and use
  - water temperature
  - soil texture & topography
• areas most likely to accept proposed aquaculture practices:
  - those where fish farms exist or there is tradition of fish farming
  - fish consumption habits
  - compatibility with present farming practices and social habits
  - land tenure and access to water
• areas with suitable markets, supply channels, road infrastructure and transportation facilities.

ACTIVITIES

Project formulators should classify key activities into:

• production-related activities, i.e. activities directly related to participatory demonstrations of technological interventions to enhance productivity and production (e.g., improved seeds, fertilization, farming practices); and,
• activities for strengthening the enabling mechanism, i.e. activities related to the Programme's focus on farmers' training, extension, stakeholders' participation, etc.

For projects integrating aquaculture and agriculture the following sequence of activities could be envisaged:

Collection of baseline information
This is intended to provide the information needed to select the project area, define beneficiaries and production packages, and characterize markets and distribution channels, according to the guidelines provided in the sections on Design Considerations and Demonstration Areas above.

Participatory planning for selection of farmers and determination of appropriate technology package
Based on the results of the above baseline survey, meetings will be held at the community level to finalize the most appropriate production models for new entrants and for improving the performance of existing fish ponds and to select the model farmers.

Establishment of project implementation mechanism and training
Management of the project will be the responsibility of a village committee/village leaders with the assistance of the local extension staff (public and/or NGOs).

In-service Training
Arrange for short in-service training courses (2-3 days) for local extension staff and others involved with the diversification component. The aim of the training would be to ensure that staff is: a) aware of the objectives of the Special Programme, b) to refresh them on the theory behind the proposed technical packages, and c) that they have the necessary practical skills. The content of the training will be largely determined by the results of the initial survey.

Farmer Training
A series of short one to two day courses will be undertaken to create awareness amongst the selected farmers to the benefits of the selected aquaculture models and/or improved aquaculture practices. More intensive training will be provided to the identified master/model farmers, along the lines of the training given to local extension workers, with the aim of making the owners master farmers and a focus for advice within the community. Farm field days will be organized in which aquaculture facilities of master farmers will be open to other farmers for visits and training.

Farm infrastructure development/improvement
In the case of new entrants, this includes survey, design and construction of aquaculture facilities, including modification of rice-fields. Where aquaculture facilities exist, these will be rehabilitated to accommodate improved production methods. Typically, this will include designs for new farms and repair/modifications of existing ponds, land clearing and excavation, dike construction and water supply and drainage structures. In case of livestock/poultry-fish integration, facilities will be required for the collection and distribution of livestock waste. Where small scale hatcheries are needed, these will include construction of ponds and tanks for breeders, tube wells, water storage/treatment tank, egg incubation and larval rearing tanks, and nursery ponds.

Farm management
Activities here include: stocking of fingerlings, fertilization (organic/inorganic), feeding (available farm wastes/by-products, locally available feeds and feed components), water management (replenishment, exchange, quality control), health management, harvesting (partial and/or total), pond maintenance (repair, drying, soil treatment) and marketing. For hatcheries, this will involve broodstock establishment and maintenance (feeding, health management), induced breeding, larval rearing and fry production, and nursing to fingerling size.

Monitoring and evaluation
This includes collection of production data from farmers, evaluation of economic and social impact, and distribution of benefits.

OUTPUTS

This section should indicate the major outputs expected from the Phase I. National officers should calculate the incremental productivity derived from the application of the models which have been indicated in the rationale section. An estimate of incremental farmer's income should be provided as well as side effects of the project such as improved water use by the inclusion of aquaculture sub-components, as well as better training and reduction of risk.

Typically small ponds of about 100m2 integrated with livestock rearing and also those used in connection with gardens should produce about 25-50 kg/year, which for the level on investment per family selected and for typical investment budgets of US$500,000 for the project should represent a total production of about 35-70 tonnes in three years assuming that 60% of the project budget is devoted directly to production facilities and operation. Larger ponds of about 5,000 m2 to 1 ha should generate more production due to their lower unit cost. As an example a US$500,000 project could reach a cumulative production of 600t in three years with appropriate management. Production increases from integration of rice cum fish for a project of similar size could generate up to 150t of fish production. However, it is also very likely that a project with several sites would include a combination of the various production models described. Thus the production output may range between a minimum of 60-70 tonnes and a maximum of about 600 tonnes. Regarding incremental income, this will range from an extra US$15-30/year in the case of the individual small ponds to over US$2,000 in the case of ponds of 1 ha used for carp culture. For rice-cum-fish culture, estimated gross incremental income will be about $40-300/ha/year. An increase in rice productivity of 10-15% can also be anticipated. These estimates are based on unit price of $1- 1.5/kg for tilapia and $0.5 - 1/kg for carp, depending on size and species. In the case of small ponds, 50% of production is assumed to be used for household consumption. These estimates need to be refined according to local conditions.

It should nevertheless be considered that the small ponds also permit a better water management for the gardens of the farmers and thus also better income and a reduction of risk because of the continuous availability of water. In addition, part of the production is consumed by the households thus contributing to a higher intake of animal protein.

INPUTS

Project formulators should provide a summary of the main inputs to support the component for the various investment scenarios. These would include the project's cost estimates; the Government's contribution; and FAO and other donors' contributions. Main inputs for the projects can be grouped in the following categories:

A specific example of staff requirements extracted from the XXX SPIN SPFS is provided below:

Government/National Staff

Description	Number	Months
A. At Central Level (National capital)
1. National Coordinator	1	12
B. At District Level
1. Chief Agri. Dev. Officers/Ag.Dev.Officers	4	48
2. Subject Matter Specialist (SMS)	8	96
3. District Livestock Officers	4	48
4. District Veterinarians	4	48
5. Junior Technicians	10	120
6. Junior Technical Assistants	19	228
TOTAL	50	600

FAO Staff

Description	Number	Months
A. At Central Level (National capital)
1. Team Leader (National)	1	3
2. Secretary/Word processor	1	6
3. Driver	1	6
B. At District Level
1. Field Assistants	8	96
TOTAL	11	111

Local Consultants (short-term) to be hired by FAO

Description	Number	Months
1. Animal Production Expert	1	2
2. Animal Health Expert	1	2
3. Fishery Expert	1	2
4. Constraint Analysis Adviser	1	2
TOTAL	4	8

WORK PLAN

It is the responsibility of the National Officers to prepare an overall work plan for the entire project period, using a chronological diagram (bar chart) as shown in the example. The work plan will include the objectives, activities, outputs, resources required and persons/entities responsible for project implementation. Once the project is operational, annual work plans along the same lines will be prepared every year.

The following example is taken from the YYY SPFS Programme:

Outputs and Activities

Output 1:	Extension staff and farmers at selected sites trained in pond aquaculture techniques
Activity 1.1:	Selection of irrigation schemes suitable for testing aquaculture under various scenarios
Activity 1.2	Training of agricultural extension staff in aquaculture techniques
Activity 1.3	Training of farmers in aquaculture
Output 2:	Ponds constructed at demonstration schemes
Activity 2.1	Identification of interested farmers
Activity 2.2	Identification of sites for pond construction and suitable pond design
Activity 2.3	Technical advice to farmers on pond construction
Activity 2.4	Backstopping of farmers and detailed monitoring of construction process
Output 3:	Appropriate management strategies identified and tested
Activity 3.1	Training of farmers and extension staff in management of fishponds
Activity 3.2	Identification of appropriate management strategies for local conditions
Activity 3.3	Backstopping and detailed monitoring of pond management
Activity 3.4	Review with the farmers the first fish production cycle and identify possible improvements
Output 4:	Training manual for extension staff and extension material for aquaculture and irrigation integration prepared and duplicated
Activity 4.1	Analyze monitoring results of pond construction
Activity 4.2	Analyze results of first production cycle
Activity 4.3	Identification of appropriate information channels
Activity 4.4	Prepare manual for extension staff and extension materials on appropriate pond construction and management strategies for conditions under the various integration scenarios, and appropriate to be used by the information channels identified

Timetable of activities

X Year

Y Year

M

A

M

J

J

A

S

O

N

D

J

F

Activity 1.1

Activity 1.2

Activity 1.3

Activity 2.1

Activity 2.2

Activity 2.3

Activity 2.4

Activity 3.1

Activity 3.2

Activity 3.3

Activity 3.4

Activity 4.1

Activity 4.2

Activity 4.3

Activity 4.4

Gardening

Season

High

Agricultural

Workload

BUDGET

Project formulators should prepare a budget for the project's entire duration. Include budget sheets detailing separately the annual costs, broken down according to expected sources of funding. Such sources should be ascertained through field contacts with Government officials, local missions of donor agencies/financial institutions and FAO Headquarters.

Budget details for aquaculture projects will depend on the selected model/combination of models and should be elaborated at the local level.

An example is provided below for fish ponds of 0.5-1 ha, taken from the XXX SPIN/SPFS project.

Model Budget for SPFS/Aquaculture - from SPIN/SPFS/XXX

Item	Total for X Year			X Year
	Unit	Unit No.	Unit Cost	Total (US$)
A. Equipment and material
Office supplies	LS			1,500
Hand tools	LS			500
Aquaculture supplies	LS			2,500
Livestock supplies	LS			3,500
Thermometers	LS			250
Balances	LS			250
Veterinary equipment	LS			500
Total equipment and material				9,000
B. Operating costs
Vehicle repairs, rehabilitation, and fuel	LS			2,000
Utilities	LS			1,000
POL	LS			3,500
Field visits, DSA, etc.				9,000
Rental of temporary housing	LS			3,000
Transport of inputs	LS			1,500
District staff training	LS			2,500
Farmers Training	LS			2,500
Total operating costs				25,000
C. Consultancy services
International; Backstopping missions from FAO Reg. Office	LS			5,000
National staff Team leader Animal Production Expert Animal Health Expert Fishery Expert Constraints analysis Field assistants Secretary (1) Driver (1)	mm mm mm mm mm mm mm mm	3 2 2 2 2 96 6 6	3570 1150 1150 1150 1150 427 750 750	10,700 2,300 2,300 2,300 2,300 4,100 4,500 4,500
Total consultancy services				38,000
General operating expenditure
Labourers	LS			1,500
Reports	LS			2,000
Total general operating expenses				3,500
Total budget				$75,500

EXPECTED BENEFITS

Project formulators must show that the proposed technological interventions to be demonstrated to farmers are financially viable. This will ensure the farmers' adoption and replication of the technologies. This can initially be done by comparing Gross Margins 'with' and 'without' the project. To assess the risk to the producer, the same calculation should be undertaken for the 'with' analysis but with increasing the major costs (say by 10-15%) and decreasing the value of the outputs (sales or consumption).

Examples of potential benefits are provided below for projects on integrated rice-fish culture (Country X) and pig-fish culture (Country Y).

1 US$ 1 = Local curency 11,000
2 Integration of fish reduced weeding from 2-3 to 1, and eliminated the need for application of pesticides.

Costs and benefits of large ponds (1ha) integrated with pig husbandry in a region of Country Y:

ITEM	PONDS ALONE	INTEGRATED PONDS
REVENUES Fish production (kg) Fish revenue pig revenue (30 piglets)	Without project 560 1680	With project 5,250 15,800 11,026
COST Fodder fingerlings feed maintenance fertilizer grass seed disease prevention miscellaneous technical service fee production cost for pigs marketing tax		1,268 3,620 990 154 22 18 235 144 150 8940 158 790
total production cost	525	15,982
total net income	1155	9,164
Contract fee net income after contract fee labour requirements (man-day = md) return to family labour (Y/md)		625 8,539 300 28

MANAGERIAL ARRANGEMENTS

Describe managerial arrangements including:

• who will be responsible for the implementation of the component/sub-component at the village, district, regional, national levels within the institutional structure set-up for the entire SPFS programme in the country;
• possible involvement of NGOs, private sector or bilateral agencies, etc..

Example: Managerial arrangements - modified from SPIN/SPFS/XXX

Description	Number
A. Government Staff and National Consultants At Central Level (National capital)
1. National Coordinator	1
2. Team Leader (National)	1
3. Secretary/Word processor
4. Driver	4
At District Level
1. Subject Matter Specialist (SMS)	8
2. District Fishery Officers	4
3. Junior Technicians	10
4. Junior Technical Assistants	12
5. Field Assistants	8
B. TCDC Experts and Partners
1. Aquaculture specialist	1

REPORTING, REVIEW, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

Describe reporting obligations of the management team and FAO as outlined in SPFS/Doc/24/ANNEX 3.

ANNEX 1: TERMS OF REFERENCE

Aquaculture Consultant (National)

• Example from: SPFP/XXX....
  Duty station: National capital including duty travel in country
  Duration: 2 months under when actually employed (WAE) scheme.
  
  Under the overall supervision of the FAO Representation, and the guidance of the National Coordinator, Team Leader and the designated Core Team member of the Special Programme, the Aquaculture Consultant will assist in preparing and supporting the household aquaculture of the SPIN and, in particular, he/she will:
  
  
• prepare relevant questions for the Rapid Rural Appraisal and interpret the results for the baseline survey focusing on aquaculture aspect;
• prepare training material and participate in the training of Village Extension Workers in aquaculture;
• prepare relevant production/management packages for rehabilitating fish ponds appropriate to the pilot areas;
• advise on the introduction of improved fish stock to the demonstration fish ponds;
• prepare a concise report and the end of the assignment detailing the activities undertaken, findings, conclusions and recommendations; and
• undertake any other duties assigned by Team Leader of SPIN.

ANNEX 2. TRAINING, SEMINARS AND EXTENSION PROGRAMME

National consultants will organize one week theoretical-practical courses for extension workers in selected demonstration farms already identified. Two of these courses will be given during the first four month period and three courses-seminars on more specialized areas will be given during the rest of the project.

Trained extension workers will organize short 2-3 days courses in all demonstration farms. Training of these farmers will include basic communication skills for them to technically advise other farmers. The number of courses will be three during the first year and three during the rest of the project.

Frequent training stages in the villages and field days for visits of farmers to demonstration as well as successful farms will be the main training tools used by extension workers to train farmers.

In addition to courses and seminars, extension will be achieved through a technical advise network of extension workers, demonstration farmers and the rest of the farmers. Technical manuals, pamphlets, audio-visual programmes and all the necessary communication tools will be locally produced to reach the different recipient levels. Collected information from demonstration farms will be processed and analyzed in order to improve extension strategies as well as introduce necessary modifications in the development project.