Rice-fish culture: Integrating rice and fish farming systems

Rice-Fish System Boosts Profits, Enhances Lowland Land Use for Food Security and Prosperity

Rice-fish co-culture ensures food and nutrition security by synergistically cultivating rice and fish. This sustainable method boosts small farmers' income through rice and fish sales while maintaining environmental safety by eliminating agrochemical use. Overall, it's an innovative and efficient approach to enhance food security, economic stability, and environmental sustainability.

This technology is pre-validated.

9•7

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 9/9; level of use 7/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

The poor: Positive high

Under 18: Positive high

Women: Positive high

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Biodiversity: Positive impact on biodiversity

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Environmental health: Greatly improves environmental health

Soil quality: Improves soil health and fertility

Water use: More water used

Problem

Food and Nutrition Insecurity:
- Insufficient access to a diverse and nutritious food supply.
- Lack of dietary variety leading to nutritional deficiencies.
Market Vulnerability for Smallholder Rice Farmers:
- Dependency on a single crop (rice) makes farmers susceptible to market fluctuations.
- Limited income diversification options contribute to economic instability.
Environmental Pollution from Agrochemical Use:
- Excessive application of agrochemicals contributes to soil and water pollution.
- Negative impact on biodiversity and ecosystem health due to chemical runoff.

Solution

Enhanced Profitability:
- Increased economic viability with a higher benefit-to-cost ratio (2.2) compared to sole rice cropping (1.6).
- Addresses the problem of widespread food and nutrition insecurity by improving economic returns.
Market Resilience for Farmers:
- Rice-fish farmers demonstrate greater resilience to market shocks, mitigating vulnerability.
- Diversified income sources from both rice and fish sales contribute to economic stability.
Nutrition Security through Fish Consumption:
- Fish consumption directly addresses the challenge of nutritional deficiencies.
- Enhances food security by incorporating a more diverse and nutritious diet.

Key points to design your project

Rice-fish technology stands as a sustainable solution for addressing food insecurity, gender disparities, and climate concerns. It not only boosts profitability, encourages dietary diversity, and fortifies farmers' market resilience but also minimizes environmental harm.

To incorporate this technology into your project, consider the following steps and prerequisites:

Outline startup expenses and projections for production and sales. Initial investment averages around USD 5,428 per hectare, covering land preparation, seed procurement, netting for rice protection, fish protection measures, irrigation infrastructure, and operational costs of USD 3,016 per hectare.
Focus on areas where rice farming predominates and identify suitable water bodies for fish rearing, such as rice paddies or wetlands.
Train personnel on proper operation and maintenance.
Ensure regular water supply in areas where suitable water bodies are lacking. Additionally, implement security measures to prevent theft.
Budget for training and post-training support during project installation.
Collaborate with agricultural development institutions to facilitate technology implementation in your country.
Consider integrating complementary technologies such as AGRA rice variety and Nile tilapia or the African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) for further optimization.

Cost: $$$ 5,428 USD

Initial Cost per Ha

ROI: $$$ 115 %

Benefit

3,016 USD

Operating Cost

18,188 USD/ha

Benefit

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Liberia	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Senegal	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Sierra Leone	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted
Uganda	–No ongoing testing	–Not tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Tropic - warm
Arid	–	–
Semiarid	–	–
Subhumid	–	–
Humid

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

Goal 3: good health and well-being

Goal 8: decent work and economic growth

Goal 13: climate action

Goal 1: no poverty

Field Preparation:
- Ploughing and leveling the rice field while constructing bunds for water retention.
Pond Refuge Construction:
- Building a pond refuge across the field's width to provide water for fish during reduced water levels.
Predator Protection:
- Installing a welded wire mesh fence around the field to safeguard fish from predators like snakes.
Rice Transplanting:
- Transplanting rice seedlings into the prepared field.
Irrigation:
- Providing irrigation to maintain optimal water levels in the field.
Fish Stocking:
- Introducing fingerlings into the field for the establishment of the fish component.
Bird Protection:
- Covering the entire field with nets to prevent predatory birds from affecting fish and rice crops.