Opportunities and constraints facing fish production system in DR Congo

Open Access ArticleThe current aquaculture production systems in the village environment and their constraints and opportunities were studied to understand the reasons for the decrease in the number of fishponds in South Kivu, eastern DR Congo. . Little is known about fish production in South Kivu; thus, this study was carried out in two phases: a survey, a follow-up of the farms over the course of a year and a literature review. Accordingly, 305 aquaculturists from three territories were interviewed from May to November 2019. This breeding is mainly practiced by men (91.6%), adults (45±14 years), married (93.6%), fish farmers with no formal education (36.5%, ) farmers who practice agriculture as their main activity (68.5%, ) and farmers engaged in fish farming as a secondary activity (60.4%). Fish farmers have 13±9 years' experience; and only 39.0 percent of fish farmers received training on good fish farming practices. Membership to groups or associations is low (6.1%). Tilapia sp is the widely cultivated species (82.6%), followed by a combination of Tilapia-Catfish (17.3%). Fish are reared in medium-sized fishponds (358.7±230.4 m2) at unknown age (60.4%), with a reproduction rate of (54.7±37.7 kg) per growth cycle. The main opportunities in aquaculture in South Kivu are water availability (13.5% in Kabare, 31.1% in the Ruzizi plain, and 15.3% in Walungu), the presence of a fish market, and availability of land suitable for aquaculture (27.1% in Kabare, 10.9% in the plain, and 15.3% in Walungu). On the other hand, the main constraints identified are lack of quality fry (75.5% in Kabare) and the high cost of labour (60.9% in the Ruzizi plain and 60.9% in Walungu)

Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa

Article purchased; Published online: 02 Nov 2017Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The scope, content, and approaches of soil and soil fertility management research have changed over the past decades in response to lessons learnt and internal and external drivers and this paper uses IITA as a case study to document and analyse the consequences of strategic decisions taken on technology development, validation, and ultimately uptake by smallholder farmers in SSA. After an initial section describing the external environment within which soil and soil fertility management research is operating, various dimensions of this research area are covered: (i) ‘strategic research’, ‘Research for Development’, partnerships, and balancing acts, (ii) changing role of characterization due to the expansion in geographical scope and shift from soils to farms and livelihoods, (iii) technology development: changes in vision, content, and scale of intervention, (iv) technology validation and delivery to farming communities, and (v) impact and feedback to the technology development and validation process. Each of the above sections follows a chronological approach, covering the last five decades (from the late 1960s till today). The paper ends with a number of lessons learnt which could be considered for future initiatives aiming at developing and delivering improved soil and soil fertility management practices to smallholder farming communities in SSA

Economic Trends in Africa

This paper surveys recent economic developments in countries in the African Department. In the aggregate, output growth continues to be sluggish, and it is expected that half of the countries will experience a declining income per capita in 1993. However, structural adjustment is making fast progress, especially as regards the liberalization of exchange and credit markets. This bodes well for an eventual improvement in economic performance.