Strengthening the Nutritional Basis for Low-lncome Groups

Throughout the state of Ceará (Brazil) there are numerous basins in which water reserves are kept for the dry season. These artificial lakes are also used by the local inhabitants to rear fish, mostly for their own consumption. These fishing communities are among the poorest groups in the population, as living conditions in the remote and dry areas of the interior are extremely difficult. Unbalanced diet and malnutrition are frequent problems.

Although the yield from smallscale fishing is quite substantial, totaling up to 10,000 tons p.a., enormous losses usually occur in the process of preserving the fish for consumption. A huge part of the haul is spoiled because the fishermen are not familiar with appropriate preservation methods. Insecticides are commonly used in large quantities, and this is obviously hazardous to the health of the consumer.

Incorrect practices in fish processing results in poor quality, and limits the marketability of the produce beyond the local fishing communities. In addition, a general lack of organization and insufficient facilities for storage and transport force people to sell fish at cut prices.

Preservation without insecticides

The key factor in the innovation is an improvement in the process of cleaning, salting and drying the fish. As a first step, facilities for keeping the fresh haul in good condition have to be improved. Careful evisceration and washing is just as essential as the use of a well-defined quantity of salt for pickling the fish. Subsequent drying also requires specific know-how.

Better nutrition and more income opportunities

With the new method, losses during storage and transport can be drastically reduced - by 30 to 40 per cent.

The direct benefits for the local population would be an enlarged and much healthier nutritional basis. Efforts to market the produce outside the village communities would open up new income opportunities, thus stabilizing living conditions in rural areas and counteracting migration to the cities.

Strengthening organization of fishing communities

Initial support by the Innovation Advisory Service is focused on a fishing community operating at the Orós reservoir. Here, a group of 50 fishermen are being trained in the production of dried, salted fish of good quality without any use of insecticides.

The quality of the fish can be preserved with better hauling equipment and appropriate cold storage facilities. Through training in management and organization a more effective system of commercial production and marketing can be implemented.

Further extension of the technology to about 200 fishermen is scheduled for 1989. The total number of fishermen in the Ceará target group is around 1,500.

Adaptation and extension through regional cooperation

On the basis of an analysis of current fish preservation techniques and knowledge of market conditions, applied research on alternative solutions was carried out by

NUTEC under the guidance of experts from Germany. The result was a quite simple process technology which was adapted to the specific conditions in the village community at Orós. Technology transfer took place first at institutional level, as NUTEC acquired the basic know-how in the course of laboratory and field tests.

The new process will now be extended to a larger group of fishermen through an integrated approach involving several regional organizations. The innovation advisory team will primarily be responsible for planning, coordination and monitoring. The institutions involved will take over responsibility for implementation on the basis of a contractual agreement, as follows: NUTEC for technical matters, CEAG for management assistance, CEPESCE for marketing, DNOCS for extension services, Secretaria de Acao Social for financing.