The introduction of aquaculture into family farming systems in subtropical NE Argentina

The introduction of aquaculture into family farming systems in subtropical

Northeast Argentina

Ariel Zajdband

Province of Misiones29,5% population below poverty line (poorest province in Argentina)

206 children died from malnutrition and 6,000 were malnourished in 2010

87% of farms are small-scale family farms

European settlement in 1900s(“colonos”= settlers)

Cash crops: yerba mate, tea, and tobacco (vertically integrated)

State regulatory agencies dissolution

Fall in prices of traditional crops

Intensification of vertical integration

Crisis of the family farm model

1990s: neoliberal policies

1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 20000

0.02

0.04

0.06

0.08

0.1

0.12

0.14

0.16

0.18

0.2

Yerba mate leaf price (1990-2001) in US$.kg-1

The return of the state intervention

Diversification strategy: aquaculture development as a way of increasing farmers’ income

~2,000 farmers involved in aquaculture

Different public-funded programs to support aquaculture development (e.g. pond construction, fingerling supply)

2000s: recovering from the crisis

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

How is aquaculture being managed in these farms?

How is aquaculture contributing to income generation and fish supply for rural markets/self-consumption?

Understanding the role of aquaculture

Visits to farms

Interviews with farmers

Farmers meetings

Statistical analysis

Methodology

Cluster analysis (18 variables; n=68)

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

Family and labour-related

Land use area-related Animal production-related

Welfare level-related

Household head’s age Industrial perennial crops area (has.)

# cattle Tractor

# of years of farm occupation by family?

Afforested area (has.) # poultry Tea harvester

# household members Tobacco area (has.) # swine Housing conditions (made of wood and

tin / brick)

# contracted temporal workers

Domestic crops area (has.)

Vehicle (no, car, pick-up)

# off-farm family workers

Foraging area (has.)

Woodland area (has.)

Cluster 1. Perennial crops-based farmsStrong reliance on family labour (only 5% contract temporal workers)

Total surface ~ 25 ha

Based on perennial crop production; mostly yerba mate and tea: 8,5 ha/farm

61% have a tea harvester

100% Brick-made houses

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

Cluster 2. Forestry-livestock-based farmsLess on family labour (92% contract temporal workers)

Total surface ~ 40 ha

Based on cattle production (mean: 20 heads/farm) and afforestation (mostly pine; mean: 11,67 ha/farm)

33% have a tractor

100% Brick-made houses

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

Cluster 3. Tobacco-based farmsStrong reliance on family labour (only 5% contract temporal workers)

Total surface ~ 20 ha

Based on tobacco (labour intensive)

Higher woodland area (untapped)

Only 17% have a car

94% of houses made of wood and tin

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

Cluster 2. Forestry-livestock-based farms

Cluster 1. Perennial crops-based farms

Cluster 3. Tobacco-based farms

WEA

LTH

+

-

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

Total Pond Area (m2)

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Pond area x farm cluster

In which kind of farm is aquaculture being introduced?

High correlation between pond area

and # ponds(r2=0,8954)

Carp polyculturegrass carp (main species)common carpsilver carpbighead carp

Native speciespacú (P. mesopotamicus)jundiá (R. quelen)sábalo (P. lineatus)

Raised species

Self-Recruited-speciesLambarí (Astyanax spp.)

OtherTilapia

How is aquaculture being managed in these farms?

Semi-intensive systems

Husbandry techniques

How is aquaculture being managed in these farms?

Fertilization

100% use animal manure100% cattle16% poultry5% swine

6% add inorganic fertilizers2% 15-15-154% urea

Supplementary feeding

100% on-farm by-products100% cassava93% corn78% sugarcane62% avocado

11% add artificial feed7% poultry feed4% fish feed

How is aquaculture being managed in these farms?

Fish production (kg) x pond area

0 500 1000 1500 2000 25000.00

50.00

100.00

150.00

200.00

250.00

300.00

350.00

400.00

450.00

500.00

f(x) = 0.259710727891249 x − 18.7971154325266R² = 0.953688399204752

Cluster 1

Linear (Cluster 1)

Cluster 2

Linear (Cluster 2)

Cluster 3

Linear (Cluster 3)

cluster 1

cluster 2

cluster 3

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200

self-consumption (kg)gift (kg)sold (kg)

How is aquaculture contributing to income generation and fish supply for rural markets/self-consumption?

Destination of fish production (kg) x cluster

self-consumption (kg) gift (kg) sold (kg)mean sd mean sd mean sd

cluster 1 93,10 17,43 11,19 8,05 67,62 76,35cluster 2 77,00 15,85 22,00 10,85 82,50 104,86cluster 3 72,14 16,84 8,57 7,70 31,61 106,85

Significative differences

1

2

3

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

self-consumption (kg)gift (kg)sold (kg)

n harvested ponds self-consumption (kg) gift (kg) sold (kg) farms ponds

mean SD mean SD Mean SD1 84,87 19,12 12,10 8,67 37,24 47,04 38 382 73 19,23 9 7,42 208 24,90 5 103 72,5 17,68 35 14,14 337,5 53,03 2 6

How is aquaculture contributing to income generation and fish supply for rural markets/self-consumption?

Destination of fish production (kg) x # ponds

Significative differences

The role of aquaculture as a source of income generation is determined by the pond area (or the # of ponds).

The amount of ponds per farm is directly related to the type of program from which the farmer got help to introduce aquaculture.

Only in 3 farms (4%) ponds were built without the financial help of a publicly-funded program.

Discussion

n = 65 Proyecto Piscícola (n = 34)

Manos a la obra (n = 18)

Municipio (n=2)

APTM (n=11)

Funding source

National Ministry of Social Development

Province of Misiones

Cigarette sales tax

Pond construction

1 3 1-2 1

Fingerling supply

Yes Yes No No

Payment conditions

US$ 400 in 12 installments

With harvested fish

US$500 Discounted at tobacco harvest

DiscussionPublic-funded programs

Who is benefiting the most from aquaculture development?

State-supported aquaculture programs: segmented or not?

How can we distribute fish so it can be accessed by the poor?

Some questions and challenges…

The role of aquaculture as an income generation activity depends on the kind of support from the state

The main effect of aquaculture is the supply of fish for farm households

Fish is not available for the poorest of the poor (landless)

Conclusions

Ariel Zajdbandzajdband@agro.uba.ar

ThankYou!