Adoption of fish farming: promoting and inhibiting factors in Eastern Province, Zambia
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A pilot project in Eastern Province of Zambia was started in March 1987 by the Department of Fisheries and ALCOM (Aquaculture for Local Community Development Programme). Different reactions were shown on the introduction of fish farming in two areas. A study was carried out to identify the relative importance of the socio-economic environment and the individual's characteristics in the adoption process. The results from this study were used to elaborate a model on the adoption of fish farming. This model was developed in the field document “Field testing of aquaculture in rural development: pilot project in Eastern Province of Zambia” (FI:GCP/INT/436/SWE.6). In the area where fresh fish was not available at all and where a high lack of animal protein was felt during the rainy season, fish farming took off. However, the demand for cash appeared to be a more important factor than the demand for fish in the adoption process. Where possibilities for the cultivation of cash crops were l imited but consumption needs were equal, households had a higher unmet demand for cash. They had to look for activities to supplement their household's budget. Despite the fact that they considered fish farming a tedious job, it is these households with limited resources which adopted fish farming. The limited availability of means of production (mainly labour, capital, on-farm byproducts which can be used as inputs for feeding and fertilizing) had repercussions on the technology which could b e adopted. This partly explains why those farmers who had seen fish ponds before the start of the pilot project, had not copied the activity. After having seen a pond they had drawn wrong conclusions about the minimum requirements for fish farming and were consequently discouraged. This is an indication for the importance of the extension message and the way it is transferred. Adoption rates were higher in the area where the social structure was relatively loose.