INTEGRATING FISH FARMING WITH VEGETABLE PRODUCTION: A STRATEGY TO ENHANCE FOOD PRODUCTION, PROFITABILITY AND INCOME DIVERSIFICATION

Abstract

The growth of human population requires an additional food-producing sector to meet the demand for animal protein sources. Regarding this, integrated fish farming can be considered as an additional option to enhance yield diversification with minimal investment costs. Thus, the present study was conducted to evaluate the integration of a fish farming system with vegetables as a strategy to enhance food production, profitability, and income diversification. The study encompassed both the survey component and the experimental work conducted in this study. The survey component employed visual observations, interviews, and questionnaires to assess the status of fish farming, including productivity, profitability, and constraints, in five districts of Sidama Regional State. The field experiment was conducted at Hawassa University's Centre for Aquaculture Research and Education from February 2023 to May 2023. The experiment involved stocking 150 fingerlings of Oreochromis niloticus with an average weight of 9.8 ± 0.42 g in 80m2 pond, and Swiss chard production used 15 plots measuring 2m x 2m in a randomized complete block design. Swiss chard was grown with five treatments: compost, chemical fertilizer, BSFFF, control, and pond water. Data on fish and vegetable growth parameters, yield, and pre and post- soil properties were collected. Phytoplankton composition in the fish pond and stomachs of experimental O. niloticus was analyzed. The experimental and survey data were analyzed with SAS software Pro13 and SPSS software, respectively at 95% confidence interval. As for the survey results, it was found that 77% of fish farmers harvest fish for both consumption and commercial purposes, contributing to food security and income. However, constraints limit the adoption of integrated fish farming in the surveyed districts. Still, both IAA and non-IAA farmers exhibit a positive attitude toward fish farming. The Field experiments demonstrate O. niloticus achieved a final body weight of 98.6±4.9g. Swiss chard treated with fish pond water showed significant growth improvement in leaf length, leaf width, and leaf number (P<0.05) compared to all treatments except BSFFF. Marketable yields from plots treated with pond water were comparable to other treatments but significantly higher than the control (P<0.05). Post-harvest soil analysis revealed that the application of fish pond water treatments improved the physicochemical parameters of the experimental soil. Among the identified phytoplankton groups, Bacillariophyceae and Chlorophyceae were found to be dominant in the stomach of O. niloticus, with varying abundance in genera. Cost-benefit analysis of the system revealed that Swiss chard treated with pond water showed higher profitability compared to other treatments. Based on the obtained results, it is recommended to promote the practice of integrated fish farming systems to enhance diversified yield, income generation, and sustainable agriculture.