Awareness and adoption level of fish farmers regarding recommended fish farming practices in Hafizabad, Pakistan
Abstract Food security for human beings on globe is becoming increasingly important on a worldwide level. Factors responsible for low fish production are lack of information, poor fisheries extension services, feed adulteration, low water quality, high construction cost and non availability of irrigation water. The present study was designed to investigate the adoption level of recommended fish production practices by the fish farmers in district Hafizabad. The data were collected from 135 fish farmers of Tehsil Hafizabad through validated and reliable interview schedule. The data were analyzed through SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) for computing results and drawing conclusions. From results, significant association was observed between socio economic characteristics such as age, education and size of land holdings of fish farmers and their awareness and adoption level regarding recommended fish farming practices. The interviewed respondents were mostly young, educated with sufficient resource capitals that are related to fisheries and agriculture. Most of the population (about 90% were aware of basic fish farming practices (nursery, feed, intercultural, fish rate, rice powder, fertilizer, harvest) and about half population was aware about the technicalities of quality production (water and soil quality) from which half had adopted that. All of the population was aware about and adopted recommended water application to pond. They were little known to few fish diseases (spot and kidney disease) as compared to having good knowledge and adoption about other major insects and pest attack. Constraining factors found were lack of information, poor fisheries extension services, uncertainty in the market, load shedding problem, impaired soil and water quality, feed adulteration, limited credit facilities, high construction cost, and non availability of irrigation water, which implies immediate efforts and enforced policies by the Fisheries Department to educate and facilitate fish farming process starting right from the farm development till marketing.