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Fish Tidings Newsletter - Issue 2- 2012
Aquaculture Zimbabwe Trust
July 19, 2012

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Aquaculture Zimbabwe (PRP IAASL) project mini profile

Having secured funding for the PRP third round, Aquaculture Zimbabwe set out to implement a livelihoods programme in two districts of Masvingo Province namely Chivi and Masvingo dubbed the Integrated Agriculture Aquaculture for Sustainable Livelihoods (IAASL) project, mainly focusing on freshwater fish farming activities with the aim of shouldering the broader PRP goal of preventing destitution by protecting and promoting livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable communities within Zimbabwe. The overall purpose and scope of this project is to increase food security, improve nutrition and dietary diversity options as well as increase disposable incomes of the chronic poor labour endowed households through the implementation of the IAASL system of production for sustainable livelihoods. The project mainly relies on community participation in the broader scope of activities such as fish pond construction and management, IAASL systems designing, fish farm best practices among others over a 12 month period (July 2011-September 2012) after which it is expected that the selected beneficiaries should be able to take full ownership of the project and ensure continuity in a sustainable manner. Aquaculture Zimbabwe provides the training and technical support while leading the implementation plan as outlined in the technical proposal narrative. The AZ IAASL project arose from the realization that high levels of unemployment as well as local and global food shortages were set to persist and as such there was a need to come up with counter strategies especially for the rural poor communities with little if no access to cash and compromised food security options. A large proportion of the rural folk in both Chivi and Masvingo districts are dependent on subsistence agriculture, and poverty in this segment is a consequence of Low agricultural productivity as a result of long dry spells or erratic rainfall patterns. Furthermore, the chronic poor households in the two districts are marginalized by the fact that basic commodities in Zimbabwe are being sold in foreign currency which is difficult to come by. They are also faced with limited dietary diversity options, a situation which compromises health and life expectancy in an HIV/AIDS prevalent population.

To date 513 households have been registered and are benefiting from the IAASL project across the two districts. (302 in Chivi and 211 in Masvingo) with a total of 2230 members. (Chivi 1349) and (Masvingo 881). There are a total of 99 production ponds that have been constructed and stocked with fish to date with an estimated value of +/- USD $ 300 000.00 at full growth. Of the 99 ponds 53 are in Masvingo district and 46 are in Chivi. The first harvests are expected early July for Households whose ponds were stocked in January and February. AZ is currently facilitating the establishment of strong market linkages between beneficiaries and potential buyers and so far beneficiaries have been oriented to the idea of organizing themselves into producer groups in order for them to increase bargaining power as well as for ease of market access.

Households have also received hands on training using the Participatory Technology Development approach for all the IAASL activities from pond construction to post harvest technologies. Sustainability is guaranteed by the fact that 29 extension officers and 23 community development officers have been trained in the IAASL project and these will captain the projects after AZ pulls out. 10 hatcheries are also being established to ensure that Households will have access to brood stock to breed fish seed for their ponds. Chivi will have 6 hatcheries and Masvingo will have 4 by the close of the implementation period in September 2012.

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