Improved Technical Capacity of Fish Farmers and Authorities on Fish Feed Development in Central Asia - TCP/SEC/3701
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Despite the fact that many countries in Central Asia possess abundant inland resources such as rivers and lakes suitable for freshwater aquaculture, fish production is low as a result of the collapse of collectivized farming For this reason, markets are inadequately supplied, and fish is not affordable, resulting in low levels of consumption 1 3 kg per annum compared with the global average of 20 kg per annum ( SOFIA 2016 Cultural habits, combined with limited supplies and high prices, therefore impact on fish and seafood consumption, with negative implications for health, nutrition, and national food security The development of freshwater aquaculture would address these issues by improving diets, regional food security, and by promoting the growth of international trade in farmed fish products at the same time, it would allow smallholder farmers in Central Asia to diversify their livelihoods, and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on traditional field crops and livestock production Moreover, because women’s participation in the freshwater aquaculture sector is limited, there is significant potential for improving their involvement in the production sector Constraints that limit aquaculture production include farmers’ lack of knowledge of on farm feed management practices and guidelines, a lack of high quality formulated fish feeds, and high feed costs During the 5 th Session of the Central Asian and Caucasus Regional Fisheries and Aquaculture Commission CACFish held in Uzbekistan in 2016 the lack of technical advice on fish feed manufacturing and on farm feed management were identified as priority areas that needed to be addressed to improve production outcomes In response to this situation, FAO proposed a project aimed at improving smallholder farmers’ and Government extension agencies’ knowledge of the nutritional requirements of fish and of on farm feed management practices (with a specific focus on carp and trout as being the most commonly farmed species) The project also sought to review the feed manufacturing sector in the region and support the use of locally available feed ingredients to reduce feed formulation costs This result was to be achieved by surveying current on farm feed management practices, the feed manufacturing sector, and by drafting practical guidelines on fish feeding, to be followed by training courses promoting the adoption of the guidelines in the participating countries The project is part of the FAO regional initiative for Europe and Central Asia empowering smallholders, family farms and youth, facilitating rural livelihoods and poverty reduction.