The conflict between fishing and agricultural production activities : the Bondo case

Abstract

The central concern in this study is to provide some explanation on the apparent conflict between agricultural production and fishing activities in Bondo Division, an area that represents many areas in Lake Victoria's immediate hinterland where agricultural production is noted to be very low. The study argues that although many factors have been identified by many scholars to explain low levels of farm production on the basis of which several measures have been suggested to improve the situation, agricultural production in the study area has remained low even though the same measures have yielded improvement elsewhere. The argument advanced in this thesis is that there are factors specific to this area which if appreciated would contribute to a better understanding 0:( low fa:rm.production in Bondo Division. Because of this are Location relative to Lake Victoria, it is postulated that fishing activities constitute such •., factors by diverting labour from agriculture and hence leading to low farm production. The study however does not dismiss the other factors identified by the previous scholars as having no relevance to the study area. The study set out to find the extent to which fishing activities. affect agricultural production and also whether the other factors also have any bearing on farm performance in the study area. A survey was undertaken using structured research schedules which were administered to two separate samples of households resident in the study area as well as to fishermen and fish traders. The research instruments were then categorized into three household groups for comparative analysis to test the postulated relationship between fishing activities and agricultural production The study finds that fishing activities have significant influence on the low levels of farm production because the labour that is diverted to such activities is never compensated for in agriculture by investment of part of the earnings from fishing activities to the agricultural sector. However, the study further finds that even if such compensation was to be made underproduction would still be significantly low in relation to the established farm potential. This supports the finding that the other factors identified by the previous scholars to explain low agricultural production still remain relevant to the study area. The study argues that the factor of agricultural finance underlies the said identified factors. The avenue open to the small farmer to improve his lot is therefore the credit facilities which, it is argued in this study, are practically inaccessible to him. The big issue is therefore how best to improve the poor financial base of the small farmer. Because the small farmer is unable to use even the available credit facilities due to the collateral terms set by the financial institutions, the study recommends, among other things, that selective credit facilities which pay special attention to the predicament of the small farmer by offering credit on 'soft' terms should be introduced in the study area" The study has also recommended the development of other sources of local resources which can generate supplementary finances to this end. Agro-Fisheries cooperatives are therefore suggested as a means of tapping the lake's resources and channeling part of the earnings from fishing to the agricultural sector for farm improvement. This, it is argued, will also help in minimizing the conflict between fishing activities and farming