S. Saiteja, Malsoor Thirumala, Pavan Kumar K., P. Padmavathi
We documented a one-year farm-scale production cycle of striped murrel (Channa striata) in a recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) at Maggi Village, Nizamsagar Mandal, Telangana, India. The culture cycle extended from March 2025 to February 2026. A total of 2,200 fingerlings with an initial mean weight of approximately 20 g were stocked in a 50 mĀ³ culture tank, corresponding to 44 fish mā»Ā³ and an initial biomass density of 0.88 kg mā»Ā³. The system incorporated mechanical solids removal, a UV chamber, a 3 hp recirculation pump, and one 2 hp blower distributing air through multiple diffusers; partial water replacement was conducted weekly. Fish received Growel floating pellets containing approximately 42% crude protein three times daily, with pellet size adjusted to fish size. Marketable biomass at the end of the cycle was approximately 1,800 kg, giving a final biomass density of 36 kg mā»Ā³ and a net biomass gain of 1,756 kg. At the reported apparent feed conversion ratio of 1.30, estimated feed input was 2,282.8 kg. No overt clinical disease outbreak was observed during routine monitoring. At a farm-gate price of ā¹320 kgā»Ā¹, gross sales were approximately ā¹576,000 (ā¹5.76 lakh). The case demonstrates the practical production potential of striped murrel in a compact RAS, while also showing that complete sustainability and profitability claims require verified water-use, energy, survival, feed-ledger, and cost data.
Decentralized Finance (DeFi) operating in Benin are essential for financing the agricultural sector and for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. This research contributes to the debate on the effectiveness of agricultural financing models proposed by DeFi in Northern Benin. Two theoretical approaches are mobilized to assess farmersā perceptions : Triandisā interpersonal behaviour model (1979) and the balanced incomplete block design method for analyzing farmersā choices. A total of 585 farmers were surveyed, including 385 financing beneficiaries, using purposive sampling. Data were analyzed with R version 4.3.0 and RStudio version 2022.02.0. The results highlight a preference for individual financing models (61.26%) over group-based models (38,74%), as they better meet the immediate needs of farmers. Regarding the impact of financing models on agricultural factors of production, farmers acknowledge the positive effect of individual financing on the purchase of inputs and equipment, but criticize the inability of group financing models to stimulate overall productivity and land expansion. The overall perception of support systems implemented after financing is negative, as they remain disconnected from farmerās real needs. It therefore appears that while financing models satisfy beneficiaries in terms of immediate operational aspects (inputs, equipment, financial needs), and they fail to address structural expectations such as productivity growth and farmland expansion
Stefan Burkart, Solomon W. Mwendia, Peggy Karimi, Mary Atieno Ā· 6 authors
Abstract Southeast Asia faces a significant and growing ruminant feed deficit, constraining the development of sustainable livestock systems amidst rising demand for animalāsourced foods. This article analyzes the scale of the deficit and the role improved cultivated forage systems can play in closing it across five countries: Vietnam, Cambodia, TimorāLeste, Laos, and Thailand. The analysis estimates that closing the feed gap over a period of 10 years will require the establishment of more than 314,000 ha of cultivated forage and the participation of over 400,000 adopting farmers. This highlights the untapped potential of forage seed systems, with a projected regional seed market value of up to $163 million over 10 years, alongside $1.6 billion in forage crop value under a gradual adoption scenario. However, achieving this scale requires overcoming systemic barriers, including weak seed markets, limited private sector engagement, fragmented policy implementation, and poor farmer access to quality planting materials. Forage development is therefore both a technical and institutional challenge, calling for farmer training, improved extension services, access to finance, embedding forage seed systems into national strategies, decentralizing seed production, harmonizing regional seed regulations, and incentivizing private sector engagement. With the right investments and policy frameworks, improved forage systems can enhance livestock productivity, strengthen rural livelihoods, and contribute to food security and climate resilience across Southeast Asia.
Mak Sithirith, Sanjiv de Silva, Sao Sok, Heng Kong
Asian Mega Deltas (AMD), including the Mekong Delta, are densely populated areas, biodiverse, fertile and productive food baskets, dominated by rice, fisheries, and aquaculture that also support millions beyond the deltas. Asian Mega Deltas are the worldĀ“s most important rice-growing areas. However, delta food systems are reaching a significant tipping point. The Asian Mega Deltas are likely to be hit by serious impacts of climate change, including more frequent and more intense floods, salinization, water shortages and climate extremes that will slow down economic growth, further erode food security, and trigger new poverty traps and emerging hotspots of hunger. The AMD Initiative has five focus areas of work packages (WP) that are mechanisms to pursue specific but complementary aims: 1. Adapting Deltaic Production Systems, 2. Nutrition-Sensitive Deltaic Agri-Food Systems, 3. Innovative Financing Mechanisms to De-risk Delta Value Chains, 4. Joined-up Governance for Gender Equitable and Socially Inclusive Natural Resource Food Systems and 5. Evidence-Based Delta Development Planning. Among of these five WPs, the AMD-WP4 is worked to implement the pilot on The Innovation Model for Integrated Decentralized Food System Governance at the District Level to conduct the research and documentation on improving food system governance to support the food system decentralization processes, build the connectivity between the community fisheries (CFis), community fish refuge (CFR), the irrigation system, and rice farming as an integrated food production system through improving water governance, promote the collaboration between the CFis, CFR and farmer water user communities (FWUC), community ecotourism and other relevant stakeholders to work together to manage the fishery, water, rice farming, and irrigation management based on collective approaches and interests to produce foods and support the livelihoods of local communities, promote the role district administration and Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment Office and build the capacity of local communities.
Tran Cong Thang, Dang Kim Khoi, Do Huy Thiep, Thai Van Tinh Ā· 5 authors
This study assesses the economic, social, and environmental impacts of Large Field Models (LFMs) and their potential for promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture (CSA). In Vietnam, the government introduced the Large Field Model (LFM), a type of production organization, in which enterprises or cooperatives establish a cooperative relationship with farmers to apply a unification production procedure by providing production inputs (including material and technical support) and/or buying outputs from producers. These LFMs can be classified under three different forms based on the extent of those linkages: (1) farmers contribute land and/or labour to farmer cooperatives; (2) farmers sign contracts with cooperatives or enterprises and receive inputs; and (3) farmers lease out/sell their land to cooperatives or enterprises. Although the key objectives of constructing LFMs come from requirements in improving rice quality and rice production efficiency, these models also have potential for applying CSA to achieve three CSA pillars: productivity, resilience and mitigation. Productivity: the LFMs ensure integration between enterprises and farmers, wherein rice production is promoted, given that the output is sold at a more stable price. Therefore, farmers confidently manage their business to increase productivity. In addition, higher output price and lower production cost is observed from LFMsā production. Better output price comes from the commitments of enterprises and higher rice quality produced from LFMs. The reduction in production costs is also achieved by taking advantage of economy of scale to apply modern agricultural machinery (such as tractors) and thus reduce labour costs. Resilience: this CSA pillar is created indirectly from LFMs. In general, as farmers use LFMs, they have a better chance to access certified seeds and follow the production procedures of enterprises under the direct support from technicians, and they are less likely to be exposed to disease epidemics than non-participant farmers. In addition, farmers who sign contracts with enterprises/cooperatives or work in LFMs tend to share their knowledge and discuss weather issues with technicians before deciding when to sow or harvest to reduce climate risks. Mitigation: the LFM production contributes to reduced GHG emissions. LFMs created a foundation to apply advanced cultivation methods and to follow strictly modern techniques such as: One Must Five Reductions (1M5Rs), Three Reductions Three Gain (3R3G), 4 Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD), System of Rice Intensification (SRI), and Deep Fertilizer Placement (DPF). The synchronized irrigation timing or flattened surface field of LFMs also contributes more efficient water use. Moreover, this model changes farmer behaviours toward more efficient and environmentally friendly paddy straw treatment to mitigate environmental impacts. In sum, there are potentials for promoting CSA application in LFMs. The integration developed through LFMs will produce friendly and mutually beneficial networks of farmers to share knowledge and modern techniques. This also encourages farmers to improve cultivating skills and output quality to sustain their contracts with better enterprises in the long run. In addition, the pressure from climate risks will push farmers to act collectively to adapt and mitigate environmental impacts. These potentials should be accompanied by the strong support from the government through its response to climate changes in the Nationally Determined Contribution (NDCs). However, there are still many constraints for expanding CSA application into LFMs. First, traditional cultivation and small landholding habits make it difficult for enterprises to accumulate land to form LFMs. Even when farmers agree to contribute their land to cooperatives, this model is still struggling to establish the appropriate benefit-sharing method in order to keep it working smoothly in the long run, especially due to land price fluctuations. Second, there are infrastructure-related issues. Some types of CSA practices require infrastructure support, for example irrigation systems for applying Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD). Finally, there is a need for a legal mechanism to bind contracts between enterprises and farmers, especially under high price volatility. Vietnamās policy system to enhance CSA application and expand LFMs is still characterized by limitations related to effectiveness, validation and public-private participation. This requires a change to attract the participation of local government, enterprises, and farmers. For example, experience from other countries shows that in the case of small scale production, legal measures would not be feasible because of high transaction costs. Therefore, using community value to bind farmers to contracts is the most feasible measure that has been proven. In addition, support for developing agricultural insurance and infrastructure investment is important. However, before expanding CSA application into LFMs, detailed studies of LFMs in each region are required because each model might be more efficient for one specific region with a specific crop.
In 2002,the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations initiated the international project named Conservation and Adaptive Management of Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (GIAHS).Up to now,six different systems have been selected as pilot sites including Chinaās Qingtian Traditional Rice Fish Culture.The criteria of GIAHS pilot sites include three parts: System criteria,contextual criteria and project implementation criteria.System criteria cover outstanding characteristics (indicators include food and livelihood security,benefits maximization,social cohesion,resource endowments and knowledge systems,social and cultural diversity,public goods,traditional knowledge,and relation to the land),proved history of sustainability (indicators include economic viability and sustainability,adaptive capacity,and human ecological sustainability),and global significance (indicators include public goods and value-added).Contextual criteria cover representation (indicators include geography,eco-regions ecosystems,systemic,scalar impacts,demonstration effect,and outstanding examples),external threats (indicators include external threats),and policy and development relevance (indicators to be developed).Project implementation criteria cover project integration (indicators include project integration,partnerships,and international conventions),co-finance potential and project approach (indicators include indicators include international conventions,incremental approach,community empowerment,respect,decentralization,ecosystems approach,programmatic approach,and value-added).Considering the implementation of the project in China,the author suggested Nationally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems (NIAHS) and their conservation should be paid much attention to and the criteria should cover some aspects like bio-cultural diversity,cultural-ecological-social sustainability,regional and typical representativeness,contribution to international conventions,importance to local socio-economic development and eco-environmental protection,demonstration and positivity of local governments.