Naga
- The *ICLARM Quarterly
Vol.
25, No. 1 (January March 2002)
SocScience
Seasonality,
Labor and Integration of Aquaculture into Southern
African Smallhold Farming Systems
R.E.
Brummett
Abstract
Fish production on Malawian smallholdings is generally
limited by the quantity and quality of inputs
to the pond (Brummett and Noble 1995). The timing
of labor availability and other farm activities
limit the amount farmers put into their ponds
resulting in lower growth rates and yields. There
is potential for improving production and yields
through modifications of production schedules
to accommodate other farming activities. Limited
material and labor inputs among farming system
enterprises can be better allocated by considering
seasonal availability of inputs and adapting the
pond and fish farming technology to the farming
system.
This case
from Malawi demonstrates that aquaculture technology
that neglects the annual cycle of events and constraints
on the farm will not be easily integrated into
the farming system. Focusing on technology that
maximizes fish production rather than facilitation
of adoption and integration has been a feature
of the majority of African smallholder agriculture/aquaculture
projects. Farming Systems Research (FSR) must
identify niches and opportunities for system improvement
for it to be worth supporting as a development
intervention.
View
Article (PDF 109 KB)
|