RICE-CUM-FISH PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ZAMBIA

1. RICE-CUM-FISH PRODUCTION OPPORTUNITIES FOR ZAMBIA PRESENTED BY MULENGA V.MUSONDA CHIEF AQUACULTURE OFFICER

2. BACKGROUND INFORMATION • Zambia is blessed with more than 40% of the water in the SADC region. • It has varsity wetlands suitable for rice and fish production • Rice is grown independently from fish traditionally in wetlands • No tangible research has been conducted before to produce rice together with fish • The main areas include Northern, MuchingaLuapula and Western provinces • There has been some scanty attempts to do Rice-Cum –Fish

3. AQUACUTURE DEVELEOPMENT TRENDS IN ZAMBIA • Aquaculture development has been slow since 1940s when the species for culture were identified • Modern Aquaculture promotion started in the 1980s as the fish demand increased while supply from capture fisheries reduced from 12 kg per person per year • The production practices have been mostly for subsistence and small scale • Integrated fish farming with livestock and crops have been taught to farmers in general • Aquaculture at SME and commercial level has been practiced in isolation by each stake-holder until the making of the National Aquaculture development strategy and plan

4. STRATEGIC ELEMENTS OF THE AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN IN ZAMBIA • Aquaculture to be promoted as a business • Shift farmers from subsistence to SME level • Apply the use of business oriented production or integration systems • The use of quality fish seed and feeding system to attain high profits throughout the value chains • Intensify production systems to meet the market demands • Clustering or use of Aqua-parks to promote bulking for better markets

5. ATTEMPTS MADE ON RICE –CUM –FISH • The fish culture development project of 1980s introduced rice-cum –fish culture in theory • Two companies ( Kafue Fisheries and ZNS ) have tried it at the commercial scale • Some small scale farmers in Muchinga have also attempted

6. HIGH POTENTIAL ZONES FOR RICE –CUM –FISH • High potential wetlands for Rice cum fish include Northern, Muchinga and Western provinces • Others that can be tried include Kafue flats, North-western and other isolated areas • Areas with good soils, pH, average temperature of 25oc for fish production and good photo period • Areas with easy access to inputs and markets for both fish and Rice

7. CANDIDATE SPECIES AND PRODUCTION SYSTEMS FOR RICE CUM FISH • Most omnivore fish species like Tilapia rendalliand Oreochromisandersoniican be the best candidate for rice cum fish • The Idea production system can be the use of pen and paddy ponds depending on the area • The bio-resource flow where inputs are efficiently used for all products involved in the value chain • Rotational production system can be another ideal system

8. CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH RICE-CUM FISH IN ZAMBIA • It is not a traditional Aquaculture or Agriculture practice in Zambia • A requirement for suitable fish species and variety of rice • Duration and climatic requirement for production • There are no technological packages developed and disseminated to farmers as yet • The biasness and limited expert knowledge of combing the two • It appears ideal for subsistence level and not for commercial • It’s no clear on how you can set the investment plan without known value chains

9. Thank for your attention Questions after 72 hours please