The aquaculture sector in India, though promising, faces significant challenges in productivity, income generation, and establishing efficient business linkages. Small-scale aquaculture entrepreneurs often lack the necessary business skills, training, and resources to capitalize on the opportunities within the industry fully. Addressing these challenges is essential for unlocking the sector’s potential and promoting sustainable development. The Aquaculture Business School (ABS) is a novel initiative under the Indo-German Development Co-operation project ‘Food Security through Integrated Aquaculture (EIAA)’ (locally known as Sustainable Aquaculture for Food and Livelihood or SAFAL). On behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH implements the SAFAL project in cooperation with the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying (MoFAHD), Government of India. The ABS model is presently carried out by GIZ in Assam in collaboration with the Department of Fisheries (DoF), Assam, India and Assam State Rural Livelihood Mission (ASRLM), Ministry of Rural Development, Govt. of India through a tri-partite MoU. The primary objective of the Aquaculture Business School (ABS) is to professionalize aquaculture entrepreneurs by equipping them with the skills needed to forecast business risks, develop mitigation strategies and business decision making.
ABS in India draws inspiration from the Farmer Business School (FBS) model, developed by GIZ in collaboration with the World Cocoa Foundation, NIRSAL from Central Bank of Nigeria and the European Union (EU) in 2010 for small-holder cocoa farmers in West Africa. The FBS model successfully reached over 1.7 million farmers across 30 countries, empowering them with the skills to manage their farms as businesses. This success led to the creation of the Agribusiness Faculty for Africa (ABF) project, which adapted the FBS approach to other sectors, including aquaculture. The ABS implementation has progressed through several phases, beginning with a pilot training program in Sonitpur, Assam. GIZ in collaboration with DoF, Assam, India and ASRLM organized a 5-day pilot training session for 25 farmers in 2023 led by a master trainer from Africa. This was followed by a 10-day residential program for 20 trainees focused on advanced training techniques in Sonitpur. Training Learning Groups (TLGs) were formed under the supervision of the master trainer to provide hands-on experience on how to impart training to farmers. Additionally, Pair Learning Groups (PLGs) were established to give trainers increased exposure and essential experience. After completing the PLG program, qualified ABS trainers will provide personalized training to 180 farmers over three months. Ultimately, ABS is driving significant progress in empowering aquaculture entrepreneurs by adapting successful models from Africa to create lasting impacts on the fisheries and aquaculture sector of India.
Key Words: Aquaculture Business school, Pair Learning Group, Training Learning Group, Risk mitigation, Business decision making