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

improved crop planning, sharing experiences and resources through regular farmer meetings organized byALSCs with the objective of overcoming the various issues and challenges in their practices.• Information on disease outbreaks at village, sub-district and district level are quickly transmitted acrossboundaries, are well discussed and shared with other ALSCs for control of disease through a group approach.• The farmer owned website facilitates effective communication between farmer communities and stakeholders.The website provides a platform for improving business and collaboration among stakeholders.• Effective communication between farmer communities and government agencies, research organizations andlaboratory services established. Communication gap between farmer communities and stakeholders havebeen reduced through ALSC-AACC operational system.• ALSC-AACC operational systems are well explained to stakeholders through meetings/discussion groups andit helps to plan their activities based on the community needs e.g. banks, micro finance units).• ADB/ETESP facilitated service provider meetings with input suppliers of quality materials and at discountedprices. Service providers welcome such arrangements through the ALSC system (e.g. Goldcoin feeds,Medan). To date a few exporters and processors have visited ALSC sites and started preliminarily discussionsfor group harvests and on processes leading to the introduction of a traceability information system (needfurther supports during harvest periods July-September 2009).• Effective dissemination of BMPs was achieved through ALSC-AACC system in four sub-districts. As a resultharmonized stocking and crop planning are in place, communities are enthused in harmonized harvesting andtraceability for minimizing risks and maximizing profits through high level coordination with stakeholders.• The Table below indicates the types of services sought and provided to farmers in the current system. It isevident, although the data are available only for two months, that the use of the system of communications toaddress farmer problems and concerns are on the rise, indicating that the system is operating to expectations.The AACC concept is new, but together with the ALSC is expected to continue to provide necessary informationand technical services to aquaculture farmers in Aceh to maintain and expand their livelihoods in this economicallyimportant rural sector in Aceh.ReferencesB. Ravi Kumar and K. Yamamoto (2009) Aquaculture livelihoods Service centres in Aceh,Indonesia: An Novelapproach to improving the livelihoods of small scale farmers. To be published in upcoming Aquaculture AsiaMagazine, NACA.NACA News item: Extending information and technical services to aquaculture farmer groups in Aceh.http://www.enaca.org/modules/news/article.php?storyid=181536