Photos’ credit: Jean Marie Manirambona (Burundi) Description: Jean Marie Maniranbona and Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the website)
The integrated farming has been usually adopted for the purpose of minimizing wastes from the various farm systems through the use of such wastes and by-products whenever appropriate to improve the farm productivity and in the same time to reduce the production costs. Integrated fish farming has been widely considered particularly in small operations in rural areas.
The inserted photos show a governmental pilot project established in Rukeco (North-East of the country). The purpose of this project is to promote the integration of fish farming with other agriculture systems.
The project consists of eleven fish ponds with a total area of close to 10,000 m2. As shown in the photos, the integration between fish and poultry is done through the construction of chicken house above the water surface of fish ponds. Also and as the second photo shows, cabbage, eggplant and other crops are cultivated between pond dykes. In such systems, the poultry dropping enhances the natural productivity in the underneath fish ponds along with elevated contribution of the natural food in fish feed and production. On the other hand, through the introduction of pond fertile water to vegetable crops, the use of external fertilizers is not needed or at least reduced leading to better vegetable cropping at lower cost.Note: Jean Marie; the owner of the inserted photos is the one checking the general health of the chicken.
