Success Stories In Asian Aquaculture - Library - Network of ...

3 Shrimp Farmers in India: Empowering Small-Scale Farmers533.5.1.3 Capacity BuildingNaCSA has taken up an extensive awareness program through village level meetings,which are key in educating farmers about market requirements and promotingthe benefits of implementing BMPs through organized societies. During 2007–2008, a total of 251 village level meetings involving more than 5,000 farmers wereconducted. The concept of BMPs and its implementation through society formationand the market requirement are explained in detail to all the farmers in a given area.Small farmers who do not have any other alternative other than shrimp farming arethe ones who are keen to adopt BMPs through organized societies. In the process,we are seeing an emergence of farmer leaders in each society who are willing towork for the benefit of the group, many of them are voluntarily sparing their timeand resources. In a village, there will be some aquaculture producers who are societymembers, while others are not members and prefer to keep conventional productionand marketing practices. However, this trend is changing with the societiesachieving better crop successes with reduced production costs, and having anopportunity to market their produce at better prices. All these have induced more andmore farmers from a village to join either an existing society or form a new one.There are 30 well-trained technical staff with NaCSA, besides 42 society coordinatorstrained by NaCSA. Professional Fisheries Graduates are also being trainedin societies in various aspects of aquaculture, social, and environmental issues.NaCSA is planning to expand the same in future involving all the fisheries collegesin India.3.5.2 Contributing to Sustainability of Shrimp FarmingFor the aquaclubs/societies to be successful, they have to be economically andenvironmentally sustainable besides being socially responsible.3.5.2.1 Economic SustainabilityEconomic sustainability in aquaclubs/societies is achieved through• Reduced disease risks• Reduced cost of production and increased profits• Improved service provisions3.5.2.2 Reduced Disease RisksThe project has made significant progress, increasing from five farmers whoadopted the cluster farm approach in 2002 to 730 farmers (813 ha) in 28 aquaclubs