Impact of aquaculture training on farmers’ income: Cluster randomized controlled trial evidence in Ghana
通过整群随机对照试验评估加纳罗非鱼种子项目中水产养殖培训的效果，发现培训一年后农民在记录保存、水管理和生物安全实践方面有改善，生产力和收入提高，部分农民鱼死亡率降低、生长更快、收获更重。
Abstract Aquaculture in Ghana is experiencing tremendous growth, led mainly by large‐scale commercial cage operators. A major objective of the government and its partners is to ensure that this rapid growth is sustainable and includes small‐scale farmers and poor rural producers. This paper evaluates the aquaculture trainings implemented in six main tilapia‐producing regions in Ghana as part of the Ghana Tilapia Seed Project. The impact evaluation is designed as a cluster randomized controlled trial, with half of the producing districts randomly‐assigned as the treatment and the rest as the control, complemented by qualitative interviews. One year after the trainings, results show positive impacts on the adoption of good record‐keeping, water management, and some biosecurity practices, and on productivity and incomes. In terms of mechanism, improved management practices resulted from reducing overstocking, reducing inbreeding, maintaining water level for fish ponds, regular pond clearing and establishing physical barriers, following advice and recommendations on feeding practices, and complementing feeding practices with farmers’ own feed formulation. Half of the trained farmers experienced lower fish mortality, faster growth, and heavier fish at harvest. Marketing and processing advice through the trainings and complementary FishConnect WhatsApp platform likely contributed to higher incomes, although the platform's coverage and regular updating can be improved.