Mali – Own fish farms for more food security
On 24 September 2011, Belgian-Malian cooperation officially started a new food security project (PRODEFA). The goal is to significantly improve food security through fish farms in the Sikasso region, the greenest region of Mali, situated in the south of the country.
In the Sikasso region the rate of children that are undernourished is above national average. More and more inhabitants leave for the city. Yet, the region is to get an economic and social boost thanks to the Support Project for the Development of the Aquaculture Sector, which will make better use of the region’s own natural resources.
With a budget of more than 7 million euro (of which Belgium contributes 6 million) the project aims at sustainable food security and supporting the local economy. More fish and better sales will not only improve food security, but also create jobs. The region’s population will be able to buy local fish from small-scale farms, with inhabitants controlling the whole chain from production to sales.
Like elsewhere in Mali, the Sikasso region has suffered from decreasing fish catches. More and more fish originates from artificial basins or from abroad. The lack of technical know-how in aquaculture blocks the region from fully using its own natural resources and creating market potential with quality products at competitive prices.
To respond to these issues, BTC and the local ministry of stock breeding and fisheries will in the first place focus on developing artisanal aquaculture by making most of the potential of the region’s lakes and ponds. Private partners that are active in aquaculture get the necessary support to come to optimal cultivation, processing, commercialisation and sales. All partners from the sector, from fish farmer to fishmonger, will get technical, management and organisational support. Finally, the project aims at better data collection and data dissemination to contribute to the growth of aquaculture.
