Malawi: Development of Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture, Aquaculture Value Chain Project (AVCP)

Project Background 

The AVCP was a country package of the BMZ-financed and GIZ-led Global Initiative, ‘A World Without Hunger’ (SEWOH). The six-year country package “Development of Sustainable Freshwater Aquaculture in Malawi” (CP MAL) with the Aquaculture Value Chain Project in Malawi (AVCP) was launched by GIZ in January 2018, and initially implemented several key activities including the organisation of an Aquaculture Round Table (Aqua-RT) of stakeholders, a training programme for master trainers and a comprehensive baseline study to establishing the baselines for measuring progress towards key indicators during implementation. 

The AVCP was a Malawian-German cooperation project between the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Tourism (MoITT) at the policy level, the Department of Fisheries (DoF) at the operational level and the GIZ as the implementing agency. The main objective (outcome) of the AVCP was: "Malawi's food-insecure population has more fish products and a higher income from sustainable and resource-efficient aquaculture in the pond industry." The outcome was achieved through the results achieved in three action areas:
A. “More fish more work”: Production from small scale pond-aquaculture has been increased, entailing a concomitant increase in employment in the sector
B. “Farmer association”: The organisation of farmers in farmer associations (groups) has been improved
C. “Sustainable fish”: The political framework required for the implementation of sustainable aquaculture practices has been improved.

Objectives

In September 2018, GIZ awarded the field implementation of the action areas A and B to the consortium of COFAD (lead) / GOPA which partnered with UMODZI, a local consulting group with demonstrable recent experience in similar capacity building interventions in Malawi. Further support was given by three subcontracted local NGOs providing additional 14 extension officers. Action area C was implemented directly by the GIZ.  COFAD has also supported other activities under Component C, with the selection of individuals for various trainings and dissemination of information through ongoing activities linked to A and B. The main purpose of outputs A and B was to increase pond fish production in 17 selected districts (covering around 40% of the country’s land area and reaching around 70% of the country’s population) and increase the availability of fish products on local markets from sustainably operated subsistence, small and medium size aquaculture businesses with a corresponding increase of job creation and income along the value chain (Output A). Further, the strengthening of fish farmer producer groups to improve their position in the input and output markets and to supply fish feed and fingerlings to their fellow farmers (Output B) were realized by COFAD. 
To attain these targets, a systematic ‘Training and Extension Approach’ was used, including hands-on practical training and follow-up coaching loops to encourage and motivate farmers, differently from previously implemented projects, and thus convincing farmers to rehabilitate existing ponds, build new ponds and re-engage in fish production as an income earner, in addition to their efforts in crop and livestock production, providing an integrated farms concept. Furthermore, the whole value chain (VC) was strengthened by improving conditions for the supply and access to essential inputs such as quality fingerlings and feeds, as well as the capacity of fish farmers and fish farmer groups as private sector business operators (business-to-business (B2B)). 

Activities

• Established a system for technical capacity building (training and coaching loops as well as supporting 29 demo ponds and lead farmers)
• Elaborated the training manual for the technical capacity:
  - Pond construction/management
  - Breeding and hatchery practices including fingerling production of tilapia
  - Grow-out pond/cage operation for tilapia
  - Biosecurity and fish health for tilapia
  - Administration and planning of pond farming activities, business approach (record keeping)
  - Nutrition and food security
• Assured provision of quality resources to pond farmers, feeds and fingerlings (training and supporting 37 hatchery operators and fish farmers and 144 fish farmer groups in local feed making)
• Provided advice to selected bureaus of the ministry of fishery and aquaculture in the field of pond aquaculture and related extension services

Improved and intensified extension services of farmers group to benefit of their members:

• Elaborated the training manual for the operational development (OD) including: Effective Leadership in FFG; Understanding an FFG; Conflict Management; Decision Making and Effective Communication in a Group
• Established a system for OD training and coaching loops
• Developed VC by establishment of hatcheries and feed training as well as the B2B network by supporting market access to quality fingerling and feed
• Supported fish feed processing (artisanal smoking and drying) with use of common facilities for cooperative and farmer groups (144)
• Supported fish feed production and processing (2) at factory level 
• Fostered Farmer to Farmer exchange 
• Established M&E system capturing activities and achievements

Results

1. Data of three phone surveys, 4 years of activities, 3 production cycles of demo ponds and hatchery operators 
2. Around 1,000 technical hand-on training sessions for 6,064 fish farmer (with 40% women and 34% youth), equivalent to about 5,600 registered farms (89% subsistence and small-scale with 60% women; 11% semi-commercial with 17% women)
3. Around 2,213 technical coaching sessions for 23,156 fish farmers (with 45% women) 
4. Operational development training sessions for 1,554 participants of 144 selected fish farmer groups (with 52% women and 30% youth) 
5. Around 725 operational development coaching sessions for 8,303 participants for the 144 trained fish farmer groups (with 52% women and 21% youth) 
6. Training and support of 37 hatchery operators (1,856,150 quality fingerlings produced)
7. Training and support of 29 demo ponds/ lead farmers

Indicator achievement (% of target value achieved)

109% Fish production increase (54% increase from baseline) with about 450 new ponds declared

100% using feed of which 59% woman and 55% male using quality feed and 98% stocking fingerlings, 73% keeping records

102% Jobs increase for woman

103% jobs increase for male

100% of the fish farmer groups are operational

430% Increase in access to fingerling for women

110% increase access to fingerling for men

608% Increase in access to quality feed for women

138% increase in access to quality feed for men