Training of Trainers - Library - Network of Aquaculture Centres in ...

Communication and networking mechanisms for improving services to smallfarmers (Aceh Model)AbstractKoji YamamotoNetwork of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific, Suraswadi Building,Department of Fisheries, Kasetsart University CampusBangkok 10900, ThailandThe Aceh Aquaculture Communication Center (AACC) has been newly established by the Regional Centre forBrackishwater Aquaculture Development (BBAP) at Ujung Batee, Aceh, Indonesia, with assistance from the ADBfunded ETESP-fisheries project. The communication centre is a new resource to support the future developmentof aquaculture in Aceh, and is one of the supporting structures for a network of Aquaculture Livelihood ServiceCentres (ALSC) providing a better interactive technical advisory service, such as disease diagnosis, information,and training services, for farmers.Innovative approaches are essential for effective communication and networking involving farmers. This paperaddress how the communication center was set up and operating to provide services that farmer in Aceh needtowards maintaining and expanding their livelihoods.IntroductionThe world community responded rapidly to the devastating effects of the Tsunami in December 2004 in Aceh andelsewhere. Asian Development Bank (ADB) was quick to initiate a project, “Earthquake and Tsunami EmergencySupport Project (ETESP)”, with a major component on fisheries and aquaculture (ETESP-Fisheries) in Aceh, torebuild the livelihoods of the coastal communities that were most affected.Many technical, social and economic difficulties confront rural producers trying to rebuild their livelihoodsdevastated by natural calamities, despite the generosity of donors and concerns of the government. Governments,more often than not, express rehabilitation in terms of the repair or building of state infrastructure but this haslimited impact unless the effected populations are assisted through their difficulties to become productive andsocially organised.The potential to improve livelihoods and reduce rural poverty through rebuilding the coastal fisheries andaquaculture in Aceh is a gigantic task. The potential lies in the formation of producer associations which could betrained with business organizational skills and would assist mitigate low productivity, to form a network fordissemination of better management practices, to negotiate better deals on inputs, to arrange credit from banks, toassist coordinated cropping and marketing of larger quantities, provide a legalised status required for investment,and to provide traceable sources for consignments of shrimp.However, there are challenges to overcome in attaining the above. These challenges are principally are asfollows:• A need to develop a vision and a guiding policy from government which has difficulty to move from“controls” to “service” functions.• The development of functional services available through government and private sector.• The legal framework which promotes the formation of “producer associations” as legal entities.32