PIND leveraged its network of aquaculture service providers to fast-track interventions slowed down by the onset of COVID-19 and expand outreach activities to more fish farmers and processors across the region, reaching a total of 1,481 (775 females) fish farmers and processors across seven States with improved knowledge of best pond management practices, access to improved processing technology as well as quality inputs, market, and finance during the quarter. The service providers and partner input companies targeted the demonstration and awareness creation activities on the improved processing technologies to specifically reach more fish processors in the coastal communities.
PIND also worked with selected hatchery operators to produce quality fish seeds for farmers in the region and organized a virtual linkage and knowledge-sharing forum that provided the opportunity for increased awareness of the broodstock development program by hatchery operators, aquaculture service providers as well as farmer groups.
- Using the multipliers from previous impact assessments, 1,733 fish farmers adopted good pond management and business practices, representing a 72% adoption rate. In 2019, the adoption rate was 79%. The lower adoption rate in 2020 is attributed to the disruption in the flow of inputs and rise in the prices of inputs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
- 1,259 of the adopting farmers experienced an increased income of 462,012,901 Naira, at an average of 366,829 Naira per farmer for the production of 2 fish ponds for one cycle.
- Each adopting farmer invested an average of 765,816 Naira on new innovations such as improved fish feed and seeds for two fish ponds stocked. This brings the total equity investment leveraged for the sector as at Q3 to 1,327,329,158 Naira.
- Discounting five months of business disruption that affected the flow of transactions, 81 fish processors (78 of which are from the GMoU communities) who adopted Chorkor ovens between Q1 and Q3 earned a net attributable income of 8,198,375 Naira, at an average monthly income of 14,459 Naira.
The adopting fish farmers created an estimated 670 new jobs as they engaged more labor to carry out their improved practices and expand production, while the 81 fish processors who adopted the Chorkor oven technology employed 122 persons to support the operationalization of the technologies.
