Summary
This was the third conference of its kind to be held for Rwanda, Burundi and
Kivu province in the east part of Zaire. High elevation was understood to be
greater than 1000 meters. During the conference, country reports were presented
describing the extension service and providing technical data following a list
of points included in the conference invitation. Technical papers on rice-fish
culture and extension strategy were presented from Burundi; on rabbit-fish culture,composting
regimes, elevation-related tilapia production and tilapia-clarias polyculture
were presented from Rwanda Kivu province presented a paper on the Zaire Peace
Corps fish culture sustainable extension service. Attendees included ministry
personnel, university professors, FAO personnel, university students, Peace
Corps volunteers, station managers, model farrners, extension and training specialists,
and some trainees.
The organization and operation of the extension services in all three countries
were compared. Fish culture extension has been assured mainly by Peace Corps
volunteers in Zaire, with very few Zairian counterparts on hand. In Rwanda,
although some Peace Corps volunteers have recently commenced activities in fish
culture, Rwandese extension agents are responsible for all fish culture extension.
Burundi is in the midst of re-vamping its fish culture extension service. It
previously relied on Peace Corps volunteers but now has funding to train its
own extension agents. However, Burundi presently has a freeze on hiring for
govemment jobs and has opted to use other extension agents already working in
other domains such as forestry. A very lively discussion of the advantages and
disadvantages of each country's extension service took place. All three countries
have active farmer training programs.
Fish culture techniques adapted to the climactic and social conditions of the
high-elevation zones are: a longer growing cycle, use of larger fingerlings
for stocking ponds, and srnaller pond size. Oreochromis niloticus remains the
fish of choice, given the lack of access to station-produced fingerlings and
the low quality inputs available. Burundi reports higher yields at less than
1300 m compared to over 1300 m but net yields do not seem to steadily decrease
with elevation However, "best production" is much greater in the lower elevation
zones. Size of fish at harvest is somewhat greater and amount of reproduction
is less as elevation increases. Pond management and input levels still seem
to be the most important factors to increasing pond productivity.
Recommendations made by the group of participants and a table of comparative
data by country are presented.