Fish drying method changes lifenin Burundi #burundi

FAO project to introduce simple raised drying racks
improves livelihoods and nutrition for communities along
the shores of Lake Tanganyika and beyond
An FAO project to equip small fishing communities with the
tools and know-how to dry fish on simple raised racks
instead of on the sand has changed lives along the shores
of Lake Tanganyika in Burundi.
Women had always dried catches of small sardine-like
silver lake fish called ndagala on the ground, where they
were easy pickings for animals and vulnerable to being
trampled and contaminated. During the rainy season, many
fish would be washed away or start to rot.
"If the fishes got spoiled and began to smell awfully it was
impossible to sell them at market," said Gabriel Butoyi,
president of Rumonge fishing port.
In total, around 15 percent of the catch was lost or spoiled
during the drying process.
Working with Burundi's Fisheries and Aquaculture
Department, FAO first set up a tiny project in the village of
Mvugo ten years ago, constructing just 48 cheap wire-mesh
racks suspended a metre above the ground, offering training
and distributing leaflets on how to build the racks.
Driers quickly saw the benefits, with racks reducing drying
time from three days to just eight hours, meaning producers
can dry multiple batches of fish in the same day. The fish
are out of reach of animals, and racks can also be covered
when it rains, preventing spoilage.
"Our fishes are of a good quality without small gravel or
stones and they are dried in hygienic conditions," said rack
owner Domitien Ndabaneze. "With our products, customers
are no longer concerned with eating sandy fish."
Explosion of racks
Word spread fast among fishing communities, and the use
of racks exploded along the shores of the lake. The area
dedicated to fish drying near the village of Mvugo has
increased from one acre in 2004 to five acres today, and the
number of driers at all official fishing sites along the shores
of Lake Tanganyika has increased from 500 to over 2 000
The quantity of fish lost or wasted due to inadequate drying
practices has more than halved, and as the quality of the
dried fish has improved, prices have more than doubled,
from 4 000 Burundian francs ($2.5/kg) in 2004 to 9 000 ($6/
kg) in 2013.