Reducing On-Farm Food Losses
In the OIC Member Countries
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are the more dangerous forms. Back swimmers (Anisops) appear in swarms in manured ponds
during rainy season and cause heavy damage. Other predatory members of this group are water
scorpion (Laccotrephes), giant water bug (Belostoma) and water stick insect (Ranatra). Proper
preparation of nursery ponds for stocking with spawn aims at total eradication of such
predatory insects. The basic method is to apply a thin oily film (56 kg vegetable oil + 18 kg liquid
soap) over the pond surface which chokes the respiratory tubes of aquatic insects. The spawn
and fish food organisms remain unaffected (Kumar 1992). Proper insect management practices
in Indonesia reduce this potential cause of on-farm losses.
Proper aquaculture production practices include, among other factors, water quality
management, stocking patterns and density control. Though it is preferable to have ponds of a
large size for better oxygenation of the water and quicker cooling via natural winds and night
time temperature drops, there is a physical limitation. According to Kumar (1992), “large ponds
are difficult to fill and even more difficult to harvest. There must be an optimum size and shape
of the pond to balance size with practicability of management, i.e. large enough to allow proper
growth of fish, but at the same time small enough to be manageable.” The recommended
optimum size is 0.4 ha – 1.0 ha (Sinha and Ramachandran, 1985). Use of proper pond size
management practices in Indonesia reduce this potential cause of on-farm losses.
Stocking practices and the quality of fish fry or seeds is another important factor in aquaculture
production (DeSilva et al. 2015). Success of stocking programs may be affected by many
variables, including but not limited to (Wahl et al. 1995; Li 1999; Brown and Day 2002):
 Stocking density and ecological carrying capacity of the receiving environment;
 Age and size of fish at stocking;
 Condition and health of fish;
 Genetic factors;
 Presence, amount of suitable habitat, food, competitors and predators at release sites;
 Timing of stocking relative to above factors; and
 Release methods.
Proper stocking management practices being used in Indonesia have reduced this potential
cause of on-farm losses. According to key informants’ direct observations during the analytical
study, the major causes of on-farm aquaculture losses include the following, most of which are
being properly managed in Indonesia:
 Poor quality stock (fry, seeds, fingerings) which reduces productivity;
 Diseases during production which reduces productivity and can lead to mortality;
 Poor quality feed that reduces productivity and is a source of aflatoxin contamination;
 Pests and predators including insects and birds that can eat the fish/shrimp;
 Poor harvest timing (hot weather, poor market access) which leads to rapid
deterioration during and immediately after harvesting; and
 Lack of ice, cold storage, or aerated water tanks for use during delays between
harvesting and selling which leads to rapid deterioration.