Worldfish Innovated High Yield Variety Rohu Requires Wider Scale Dissemination

Rohu, also called Rui, is one of the most popular fishes in Bangladesh. As an aquaculture species, it creates livelihood opportunities for the farmers, especially the rural poor farmers as it’s a source of food and income.   

However, due to the lack of genetically improved fish eggs, the farmers in Bangladesh are not getting the expected growth and profit from rohu farming. Moreover, poor genetic management and malpractices in some of the hatcheries result in inbreeding and interbreeding affecting rohu farming negatively.  

To address this problem, WorldFish, as part of its Carp Genetic Improvement Program in Bangladesh with the support of USAID, started research in 2012. Using the rohu spawn collected from the rivers, Padma, Jamuna and Halda, and followed a family-based selective breeding approach.  

WorldFish successfully produced the Generation 3 (G3) Rohu, and distributed them among some selective farmers and hatcheries in 2020. This G3 Rohu is expected to grow 20%–30% faster than the rohu available in the country.

To promote this High Yielding Variety (HYV) rohu among the farmers, nurseries, hatcheries and other relevant market actors, Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture Activity (funded by USAID and implemented by WorldFish) is working with MWorld.  

Under this partnership, MWorld is implementing the project, titled ‘Egiye Choli’.  

MWorld made 3600 marketing efforts at both backward and forward markets. As part of this, 15 demo ponds were set up as “Learning and Promotion Center” (LPC) across 3 districts (Jashore, Khulna and Satkhira) of southern Bangladesh.

Capacities of farmers, and geo-ecological contexts were prioritized while selecting the ponds. Each LPC was led by a Local Service Provider (LSP) who worked either as a Local Extension Agent of Fisheries (LEAF) under the NATP project or as an LSP under USAID funded Aquaculture for Income and Nutrition (AIN), or who had considerable experience in fish culture.  

Major responsibilities of the LSPs include ensuring supply of quality inputs (as seed, feed etc.) and access to advisory services for the LPCs. This initiative created business opportunities for the LSPs as well.  

On August 22, 2021 a field day was arranged for the LPC at the pond site of Md. Najmul Hossain, at Jashore.

Total 45 participants including the District Fisheries Officer (DFO), Jashore and Senior Upazilla Fisheries Officer (SUFO), Jashore Sadar; 3 from NGOs, 2 from WorldFish and 38 farmers attended the event.

On April 04, 2021, Md. Najmul Hossain bought 1500 pieces of G3 Rohu fingerlings with average weight 16 gm from the LSP. Currently, the average weight of the fish has increased to 270 gm i.e. it has gained 1.99 gm weight per day.

Najmul says, “In the past I cultured rohu in my pond along with other fish but I never saw the growth of Rohu like this ever before. Earlier, I received maximum growth of 1.5 gm per day. This is the first time I’ve found growth of rohu 1.99 gm per day which is about 33% more than that I found in past. Like me, all other farmers in our village are very happy to observe the growth rate of G3 rohu. We were reluctant to culture rohu and now we are very interested to culture Rohu observing the growth of G3 Rohu”.

Md. Makibur Rahman, a LSP in the village says, “WorldFish provided me the G3 Rohu hatchlings on July 12, 2020. After stocking the hatchlings into my nursery pond, it seemed to me that the quality of these Rohu would be something different, while I found roaming the hatchlings shoal around the pond. Now when the farmers are getting better results, more farmers are demanding for improved Rohu eggs from me and I’m selling the Rohu at least 25% the premium price. It has increased my own business.”

Mr. Md. Anisur Rahman, DFO of Jashore says, “I’m impressed to see the tremendous growth performance of WorldFish’s G3 HYV Rohu at farmer level. I talked to many nursery owners and farmers in different areas of Jashore district and came to know that farmers were satisfied with the faster growth of G3 Rohu. I wish the dissemination of the G3 Rohu would be on a wider scale in Bangladesh.”

Mohammad Hasnal Alam is a Market Systems Specialist at WorldFish Bangladesh & South Asia Office