The Agricultural Research Council (ARC) has implemented innovative technologies to promote and enhance freshwater aquaculture and aquaponics practices in South Africa, which are critical for sustainable food production and efficient management of water resources. These tools include an ArcGIS program, a pond site suitability model, a potential beneficiary’s SWOT analysis, and a tracker of vegetable price patterns. These tools include a freshwater aquaculture mobile app, a pond site suitability model, a potential beneficiaries SWOT analysis, and a fresh produce market vegetable price trends tracker.
An essential tool for farmers, the freshwater aquaculture smartphone app offers real-time system monitoring and management features. By optimizing system health, overall productivity, and water quality, this program minimizes the potential risks associated with fish farming.
The most suitable locations for aquaculture systems are identified using the pond site suitability model using geospatial analysis. This tool helps farmers choose locations that improve odds of success and resource efficiency by assessing logistical variables, environmental conditions, and water availability.
The Potential beneficiaries to receive a government assistance are assessed based on their strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats using a SWOT analysis. By ensuring that resources are distributed to the most potential beneficiaries, this study improves the overall impact of aquaculture and aquaponics projects.
By analysing past and present vegetable price trends, the fresh produce market vegetable price trends tracker offers farmers insightful information on market dynamics. With the use of this technology, farmers can increase profitability and market responsiveness by selecting which crops to plant and when to market them.
When combined, these ARC technologies provide South African farmers with comprehensive support, covering everything from market analysis and resource allocation to site selection and management of systems. The development, applications and potential impact of these tools in promoting sustainable aquaculture and aquaponics technologies in South Africa are addressed in this research.