Based on random selection, USAID MARKETS II chose 20 aquaculture farmers groups in Edo and Delta for validation exercise, which lasted for 6 days. It started from 19th-24th of September 2016..

Sapele Road fish farmers undergoing validation


Mr Jonathan Oteri in Ughelli North fish farmers group raising a point


Mr Fasoranti Adetunji, the M&E officer from MARKETS II USAID asking Mr Lucky Iriguvwedo of Tenog fish farmers questions about his group


Mr Fasoranti Adetunji M&E officer for MARKETS II USAID talking on symptoms of AVIAN FLU in bird to farmers

Criteria for the group validation exercise for MARKETS II USAID includes the following for sighting :

  • Presence of group members during validation
  • Group registration certificate
  • Group register to meetings
  • Minutes books of meetings and other forms of group record

Farmers were happy about the validation exercise as it gave them room for success stories, challenges and way forward into the business.

Success stories includes:

  • The program made them to have proper knowledge on record keeping
  • They learnt using of the feed chart in feeing of their fish accurately
  • They learnt having their own weighting scale is better than using the market women weighting scale during sales and other farming activities that requires the weighting scale
  • Learnt not to over stock the pond as it gives better result when not over stocked
  • Learnt not to over feed the fish, as most times they fish throughout the excess feed
  • They now treat their ponds before restocking
  • Initially if they want to change water that they will run the water out completely before running in fresh water and as such the fishes gets injuries on their boby
  • MARKETS II teaching has made them to come as a group that share ideals, proffer solutions among themselves and above all they have improved in their farming system

The challenges that most of the farmers around this area faces is the cost of feed and market women coming to buy their fishes at a low rate. They wish they could have a bigger market that comes to buy their fishes at a good rate or an organization that can support them with feeds and at the end of the season come get their money either through cash of fish.

Ngozi Obekene is a Monitoring and Evaluation Officer at The Ark Shore Konsults (T.A.S.K.). She holds a Master’s degree in Agricultural Extension from University of Benin, Nigeria.