1 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE
1.1 DEMOGRAPHY
Murewa District, located in Mashonaland East Province, forms part of the Communal Lands Areas of Zimbabwe. In 1988, total population of the District was estimated at 145 000 persons, and the number of active farming households was estimated at 39 000. Figures for the number of male and female headed households were not available, but it has been estimated that 60–70% of the rural population in Zimbabwe are women.
In Murewa District, the majority are Shona-speaking.
1.2 ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES
Agriculture is the main economic activity in the district. Maize, the staple crop, occupies the main part of the cultivated land of all households and is the main source of on-farm income. Other crops cultivated include groundnuts, sunflower and a variety of vegetables. As well as being an important source of food, these crops are also an important supplement to on-farm incomes.
Most households attempt to grow these vegetables throughout the year, often using water from irrigation ponds during the dry season.
1.3 RECENT CHANGES
Male migration to the urban centres has changed the traditional division of labour of farming in Zimbabwe. In recent years, women have had to take the main responsibilities for the production of most crops, in terms of labour and decision-making. However, despite these changes, men are still key decision-makers when it comes to allocating land to particular crops, access to loans and control of income from farm crop sales.
Perhaps one of the most significant changes in recent years has been emphasis by the Government extension service (AGRITEX) on encouraging farmers to join farmer groups to share agricultural advice and information. These groups have also engaged in the sharing of implements, labour and draught power and have shown a particularly dynamic way of overcoming some of the constraints of increased production. As groups gain experience and confidence, more aspects of agricultural production are taken up; some have included group poultry and rabbit farming. Although these groups do exist in Murewa District, no information was avilable at the time of the consultants' field visits on their number, organization and membership.
1.4 FISH FARMERS
Very little data exists on the socio-economic characteristics of fish farmers in Zimbabwe. Most fish ponds originally started as irrigation ponds.
Informal surveys suggest that the main reason for fish farming is to provide food for household consumption. Fish has a high demand in the district, but is in short supply, and consequently very expensive.
During field visits, all farmers spoken to said that they practised intermittent harvesting for household consumption. Some farmers also said that they allow people to come and fish in their ponds using hook and line for ZIM$1/day. District extension workers confirmed these findings, although the extent of these practices is not known
2 AQUACULTURE PROFILE
2.1 GENERAL BACKGROUND
Substantial information on physical geography, climatology and hydrology with regard to aquaculture, can be found in Balarin (1984). This author has defined agro-climatic zones in relation to aquaculture, based on water temperature as influenced by altitude, latitude and local climatic conditions.
The Murewa District, about 80km north-east of Harare lies in the Border Central Plateau Zone. This zone, suitable either for temperature species or warm water species is characterized by
| - | altitude | : | 900–1200m |
| - | rainfall | : | 6 months per year 900–1000mm |
| - | water temperature | : | 18–24°C |
The average gradients of the district are moderate to steep, and the moderate rainfall during a relatively short period results in most rivers and streams being seasonal. The Murewa is endowed only by a few dams and perennial rivers.
2.3 STATUS OF SMALL-SCALE FISH FARMING
Around 900 fish ponds are registered at the district office of the Department of Agricultural, Technical and Extension Services (AGRITEX) of which around 600 have been stocked with tilapia fingerlings from dams, mainly O. mossambicus, O. macrochir and to a lesser extent T. rendalli.
The vast majority of ponds have been constructed for irrigation of vegetable gardens and are stocked free of charge by Agritex. Nearly all the irrigation ponds are supplied with seepage and/or groundwater, and most of them are constructed in dambos. In Zimbabwe, dambos are known by the names bane and vlei*. The ponds vary from 10 to 800m2 the average size is small, about 70–80m2 and depth varies from 1 to 2m. The majority of farmers own one pond. The bigger ponds, some of them constructed for fish farming, are generally shallow (depth 0.5–1m).
Construction and management of a fish pond are most often weak, nearly all the ponds are undrainable, little or no fertilization is applied and most farmers only feed with some green manure and household leftovers. The soils of dambo ponds seem to be slightly acid. The main harvesting strategy is an intermittent harvest with hook and line or traps: complete drain harvest only occurs during the severe droughts (i.e. 1983/4) and apparently none of the farmers practise a batch harvest. The average production is estimated to be low, 10–15Kg/are/yr and is mainly composed of small fish.
3 HENDERSON AQUACULTURE STATION, ZIMBABWE
The Henderson Aquaculture Station is located near Harare in the grounds of the main Government (Ministry of Lands, Agriculture and Rural Resettlement) Agricultural Research Unit. Fisheries operations ceased in 1971, but rehabilitation of this fish culture station has recently been undertaken by a FAO/TCP funded project.
After completion of the rehabilitation works, (which is foreseen to last 6 months) the farm will have 30 ponds of about 100m2, 3 ponds of about 700m2 and 4 ponds of 4000m2, covering about 2 ha. In addition, there are 45 concrete tanks of 7 and 18m2.
For much of the year, water is supplied by gravity through diversion of a nearby stream and water canal system. In drought periods there is a 300 000m3 reservoir and a secondary canal system leading to the lowest tier of ponds. This back-up system has not been used in recent years but repair and reinforcement will be undertaken.
