Ruangrai Tokrishna
Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Kasetsart University, Bangkok,
Thailand.
ABSTRACT
Livestock-fish integrated farming system had been introduced to Thailand since early 1900s but has been only recently practised as a means to increase farm incme through better resource utilization. Culture fish species were those that fed on plantplankton mostly Nile tilapia, striped catfish, and carp. In the Central Region with an easy market access, pig-fish system is recommended for relatively large farms. Duck-fish system proved to be profitable in the Northeast and was recommended for small farms. Chicken-fish system was not as popular due to diseases and contract farming system. Ruminant-fish system faced problem in confining animals and manure gathering. Integrated livestock-fish-plant on a sustainable agricultural basis starting from rural poor areas could perhaps be the future direction for intergrated farming system in Thailand.
INTRODUCTION
Freshwater fish culture in Thailand has been remarkably developed only within the last five decades since captured fish had been abundant. Fish culture, the stocking of fish in enclosed water, was believed to be first introduced by Chinese immigrants in the early 1990s. Rearing species were mostly carp (Cyprinus carpio). Later the native striped catfish (Pangasius sutchi) was cultured followed by sepat Siam (Trichogaster pectoralis) and Java tilapia (Tilapia mossambica). Recent cultivated species include wide varieties of carp, tilapia, catfish, gouramy and freshwater prawn. Fish were fed on grass, chopped aquatic plants and rice bran. The ponds were usually fertilized with animal manures.
In early 1980s integrated livestock-fish farming systems were observed in the Central Region. This system was simply keeping both livestock and fish and adding animal manures into the pond to supply nutrients for phytoplankton and to be substrate for bacteria and microfauna which were eaten by the fish. This livestock-fish farming system has become more popular recently due to increase in agricultural input costs and low output prices. The farmers see this system as an alternative to reduce costs of production and increase their incomes.
PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN THE COUNTRY
Pig-fish Farming System
Pig-fish integrated system was first developed by pig farmers in an attempt to increase farm revenue when pig feed price started increasing. This form of integration is generally found in relatively large farms. Pig pens are usually located near fish ponds or on the pond dikes for convenient washing of pig manures and wastes into the pond.
It has been estimated that a stocking of five to ten 10-kg pigs per 0.16 ha fish pond (31–62 pigs/ha) was most suitable for a stocking rate of two thousand 3–5 cm tilapia or tilapia cum striped catfish fingerlings (12,500 fingerlings/ha). When pigs are young and small, low cost supplementary feed (e.g. rice bran, food wastes, plant wastes) may be required for the fish. After the pigs have attained 50 kg body weight the above stocking rates would allow adequate nutrients for the fish.
Recommended fish species are tilapia and striped catfish due to their ability to tolerate the fluctuation in pond environment. Carp may be stocked in addition but silver carp (Puntias gonionotus) is not recommended due to its low survival rate.
Hybrid pigs (Large White/Landrace/Duroc) are recommended for this system. Pigs can be fed on mixed and/or concentrated feed. Cassava can be partly substituted for broken rice to reduce feed cost. The feed should contain 13–14% protein.
Four to five months after stocking, tilapia can be harvested; partially harvesting to reduce stock density. Striped catfish will grow to a size of 1–1.5 kg each within one year. It has been estimated that fish yeild can be as high as 1,800–2,000 kg/0.16 ha/yr (11,250–12,500 kg/ha/yr). About 60% of the total revenue from this integrated system is cash costs leaving 40% net income for the farmers (Wannakul, 1983).
Duck-fish Farming System
In this system duck house is built on the pond to allow manures to fall directly into the pond or it is located on the dike and manure is washed in daily. Since ducks eat small fish, a fence is used to confine the ducks within certain shallow water area. Size of fingerling stocked is usually 5–10 cm long. Recommended fish species are tilapia or tilapia cum carp and small scale mud carp (Cirrhina microlepis) at the stocking density of 2,000 5-cm fingerlings/0.16 ha (12,500/ha).
For a 0.16 ha fish pond, 240 egg laying ducks (Khaki Cambell) are recommended (1,500/ha). One-day-old ducks are bought and raised to one-month-old before stocking in the duck house. After 4–5 months the ducks start laying eggs.
A feed mixture of 15% broken rice, 30% rice bran, and 20% concentrated feed is applied at 150 gm per duck per day. About 10% of their feed is washed into the pond, serving as feed for the fish. Ducks also feed on natural food in shallow water and by feeding on small plants help control plant density and in turn the oxygen level in the pond. Ducks also eat small molluscs which are parasite carriers.
In 1989 there was a report on the success of a duck-fish integrated farm in the Northeast. The farm was 1.1 ha with two fish ponds (3,000 and 4,800 sq m). On the dike of the larger pond there was a 200 sq. m duck pen with a 100 sq m duck house. This was stocked with 1,280 100-day egg laying ducks and 68,000 fingerlings (30,000 rohu, 10,000 tilapia, 20,000 carp, 4,000 silver barb, and 4,000 Chinese carp). In addition another 1,080 fingerlings (240 tilapia, 240 carp, and 600 silver barb) were stocked in the other pond. The farm had an advantage of being located only 300 m from a large reservoir (47 ha), a convenient access to water supply.
In the beginning the ducks were fed 200 kg rice bran/day (10% protein). After 51 days when they started laying eggs, feed was increased to 300 kg/day, i.e. 200 kg rice bran, 90 kg broken rice, and 10 kg concentrated feed giving 11% protein content. No feed was given to the fish. It was estimated that 10% of the feed given to the ducks fell into the pond. Each duck gave about 6 kg manure within 30–40 days. About half of the manure was washed into the ponds, approximately 100 kg/day. This together with the 20–30 kg duck feed wastes there would be enough nutrients for the fish.
In spite of the high stocking density, fish could survive since they were partially harvested after the fourth month. The farmer caught 5–6 kg of fish daily. Average size of the catches was 200 gm/fish. In the eighth month a periodic 100 kg of fish was harvested.
This farmer was able to earn a net profit of US$1,883 or US$269/0.16 ha of which 87% came from fish. Fish yield was 560 kg/0.16 ha (3,500 kg/ha). Percentage of egg laying was 65% due to low protein content in duck feed.
Chicken-Fish Farming System
Chicken manure has been claimed to be better than duck manure in integrated farming. Nevertheless chicken-fish system seems to be not as common as duck-fish system. Chicken disease and contract farming may be two of the reasons.
In chicken-fish system the pond is rectangular in shape with 1.5 m water depth. Chicken house is built above the pond floor 1.2 m above the water level.
When raising broilers, the recommended stocking rate is 1,000 birds/0.16 ha (6,250/ha). The farmer starts with 1 day old chicks and those feed on concentrate feed can attain 1.5–1.9 kg in 50 days. In case of egg laying chicken confined in a small row-cage in the house, recommended stocking rate is 200 birds per flock for 5 flocks in a year (1,250 birds/flock/ha).
Recommended fish species are tilapia or tilapia cum striped catfish, which have high tolerance to low oxygen level, at a stocking rate of 2,000 3–5 cm fingerlings/0.16 ha (12,500 fingerlings/ha). Fish yield is as high as 1,222 kg/0.16 ha (7,637.5 kg/ha) in case of tilapia cum striped catfish since striped catfish can feed better on the nutrients in the pond. Tilapia monoculture yields are lower, i.e. 589 kg/0.16 ha (3,681.25 kg/ha) (Pongsuwan and Sittimuk, 1989).
Other Farming Systems
Rice-livestock-fish integrated farming is also found but is not as popular as the aforementioned systems. In this system the main activity is rice growing while farmers keep small fish ponds and let a small number of other animals roam and forage for food making it difficult for the application of animal manures in the fish pond. Ruminant-fish system, though has been recommended, has not been very effective due to the same reason.
In 1981 Edwards et al., 1983, found that 49% of the integrated farms in Pathumthani in Central Region grow rice as their main activity in an average farm size of 7.3 ha. Twelve percent were livestock-fish farms with pig as the most common livestockwhile about one-fourth were duck-fish and another one-fourth were chicken-fish. Fifteen percent were fish and vegetable and/or fruit farms. Fourteen percent were fish-livestock-vegetable/fruit farms having fish as the main component with pigs, ducks or chicken, in that order of preference. The other 10% were fish-rice farmers who kept pigs, ducks, chicken and buffaloes. Cultured fish species were mostly striped catfish, Nile tilapia, silver barb and walking catfish.
POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENT
Integrated livestock-fish farming system has recently been introduced to the Northeast Region where there are adequate water supply in an attempt to provide additional farm income as well as increase protein supply for the small-scale farmers. Ducks-fish farming has been successful for small integrated farms. Pig-fish farm can be developed for a relatively large farm since investment can be higher.
For widespread adoption of this kind of farming systems and for exploitation of its maximum potential there is a need for more information on the different types of systems. Information needed are, for example, the volume of different animal manures that should be applied in fish pond, the proper stocking density, water quality, types of nutrients in the pond and their volumes, and feed conversion ratio. These information are necessary for effective pond management.
In setting up integrated farming systems consumer preference, especially those in the cultured area, can be a hindrance on further development. Produce from rice-fish culture system is more acceptable among the consumers. Integrated farm sites will be limited by access to adequate water supply and animal feed input as well as market outlet. While duck-fish farm seems to be more successful in the Northeast, a relatively larger pig-fish farms are profitable in the Central.
REFERENCES
Chaijaron, Wiroj (1989). Integrated duck-fish culture. Today Agriculture. vol. 102, December 1989. pp. 67–72 [In Thai].
Division of Agricultural Economic Research (1991). Alternatives in agricultural production activity. Office of agricultural economics. Agricultural Economic Paper No. 58. August 1991 [In Thai].
Edwards, Peter et al., (1986). A feasibility study of fish/duck integrated farming at the family level in Central and Northeast Thailand. Asian Institute of Technology, Research Report No. 163.
Edwards, Peters et al. (1986). Pilot small-scale crop/livestock/fish integrated farm. Asian Institute of Technology, Research Report No. 184.
Petchareon, Jit and Sonsak Jansirisak (1979). Fishpig culture. National Inland Fisheries Institute, Paper No. 2 [In Thai].
Pongsuwan, Ampon and Aree Sittimuk (1989). A handbook for fish culture in the northeast. Northeast Fishery Development Project, Department of Fisheries [In Thai].
Tomich, Robert J. (1988). Table fish production systems in Northeast Thailand. DOF/CIDA Northeast Fishery Project 906/11415, Department of Fisheries Institutional Activity No. 19.
Wannakul, Tawee (1983). Integrated farming. Livestock Gazette vol. 6, June 1983, pp. 33–38 [In Thai].
