Report of consultancy at the Regional Lead Centre in China for integrated fish farming
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A logical first step in the study of integrated farming activities is the collection of data on systems that are in commercial operation. There is a wide range of integrated farming systems involving aquaculture in Asia in general, and China in particular. A classification of aquaculture systems involving crops and livestock should be established. Information should be collected on the kinds and extent of integration, inputs and outputs, capital and operating expenses, and profitability of eac h system. The ultimate aim, to optimize such complex integrated farming systems, will require protracted study. However, the analysis of existing systems and discussions with farmers concerning current management strategies and problems should enable a large body of relevant data to be amassed in a relatively short period of time. The information may be used to establish hypotheses concerning the functioning of such systems, which may then be tested by experimentation and the establishment of mo del farms. The collection of data on integrated fish farming operations is difficult since most farmers keep neither detailed records of inputs into the system nor yields of fish, livestock products and crops. China is an exception to some extent since the farms are organized into collectives; detailed records are generally kept because of the need to determine the amount of profit at the end of each year, which determines how much benefit each farm worker will receive. Furthermore, through ke eping detailed records which permit the integrated farming system to be well managed, successive years operations can be gradually improved with a continuous increase in the profitability of the system.