Assessment of aqua farms in Mymensingh district: Perspective of health management and probiotics use

Abstract

The study was conducted to evaluate the existing aqua farming status and health management practices in 24 commercial farms located in selected upazilas (viz., Mymensingh Sadar, Trishal, and Muktagacha) under Mymensingh district. Data were aggregated through participatory rural appraisal (PRA) tools such as questionnaire interview, focus group discussion (FGD) and key informant interview. The findings uncovered that, the culture practice (monoculture and polyculture) was similarly preferred by the respondents. Both polyculture and monoculture systems were practiced in all of the selected Upazila. It was observed that most of the farmers of the study area adopted monoculture (50%). Whereas, one third (33.33%) of them preferred polyculture and a few (16.67%) followed both the culture systems. Only 33.33% farmers follow the sanitary facility which is important for security of biomass. 25% farmers monitored the farms on daily basis, while 37.5% farmers and 37.5% farmers monitored the disease condition weekly and bi-weekly, respectively. 12.5% farmers monitored the health condition of fishes on daily basis and 50% farmers monitored on bi-weekly basis in Muktagacha. On the other hand, 25% and 62.5% farmers monitored the health condition on weekly and bi-weekly basis, respectively in Trisal. About 25% farmers in the selected upazilas used different types of antibiotics and chemicals to control diseases. About 75% farmers did not use any types of antibiotics and chemicals to control diseases. The result showed that, 33.33% farm owners used probiotics in the pond for beneficial purposes where 25% of farms used water quality regulatory probiotics, 25% of farms used soil probiotics and 8.33% used gut probiotics. Most farmers (87.5%) have stocked diseased free fry from various hatcheries while a few (8.33%) supplied from their own hatchery.