Maximum of the rural poor people have small ponds in their farmhouses. These ponds are mostly keep unused or traditional fish culture due to lack of information and knowledge about improved aquaculture. Most of the homestead pond owner used their ponds only for family purpose like bathing, cleaning of utensils, cloths etc. Dolly Begumu (24) a dweller of Boulasir village of Mirzapur union under Sreemongal Upazilla was also one of them who owned a pond with 10 decimal water area.
Her husband Mr. Masuk Miah is a carpenter and sometimes looks after his poultry farm and also works in their homestead pond, small land and pond dike area for producing fish, poultry, paddy and vegetables. Ms. Doli`s husband has been stressed to maintain his 4 family members. She has one son under 2 years old.
In 2018 Ms. Doli Begum came in touch with the Boulasir suchana Pusti dal through Suchana and selected as HFPaquaculture group members. She also selected as a demo farmer on “Carp‐Mola‐Tilapia Poly culture in pond and Horticulture on dikes and homestead area”.
Before suchana intervention Ms. Doli cultivated fish in her pond using only traditional methods without maintaining stocking density, liming before releasing fingerlings, removing predator fishes and regular feeding. As a results she did not get expected yield from her pond.
After involving with suchana intervention Ms. Doli got basic aquaculture training and her husband also got coaching on improved aquaculture in pond and horticulture on pond dike and homestead area. After that they started “Carp‐MolaTilapia Poly culture in pond and horticulture in dikes and homestead area”. Project staff encouraged her greatly to adopt the suggested technology and aided her for increased production. She stocked 550 fingerlings on July 27, 2018, off which Silver carp 60, Catla 20, Rui 60, Mrigal 60 and Tilapia 350. Ms. Doli used regular fertilizer for natural food production for fish and also used additional feed for fast growing of fish. She regularly examined the water quality and growth of fish after releasing fingerlings and after a certain period she started partial harvesting for day to day family consumption by cast net and gill net.
Ms. Doli Begum and her husband already harvested about 65 kg fish (45 kg carps, 10 kg Mola and Darkina and 10 kg Tilapia) for family consumption as of March 31, 2019 valued more than BDT 9000.00. Still there are a stock of 80 kg fish in her pond. She expected that her fish production will be reached to at least 220 kg within Jun‐July 2019. There is no need to stock tilapia fingerlings for next year as already GIFT produced enormous fingerlings in her pond. It should be also mentioned that she is harvesting Mola and Tilapia regularly for her family consumption. ‘’I could hardly grew 60 kg of fish from my 10 decimal ponds. I could never believe such a huge amount’’ said her younger brother with deep satisfaction.
“Before joining suchana we ate Mola leaving the skull but now we intake whole parts of small fish including skull of
Mola when we came to know that skull of Mola fish is rich with Vitamin‐A through a session in M&C group” said Doli. However, she also learned how to grow vegetables and orange sweet potato (OFSP) on pond dike and their homestead area and accordingly she produced those in her Pond dike and homestead area. As of March 2019, she harvested more than 45 kg vegetables (Gourd and country bean) from her pond dike for family consumption. She also produced red amaranth, yard long bean, Kangkong in homestead area.
Ms. Doli feels proud being a delightful member of Suchana and to meet family daily fish and vegetables requirements.