The Project
In June, we launched a partnership project with DVARA, a financial services company that uses technology-driven solutions to increase financial inclusion, particularly for agricultural households. This collaboration is part of our broader effort to explore more scalable interventions to improve fish welfare.
The purpose of our DVARA partnership project is two-fold:
First, to expand our programs and improve the welfare of farmed fishes in the neighboring state of Odisha.
Second, and more importantly, to assess the viability of working with agri-support organizations like DVARA to scale fish welfare interventions.
In this project, we provided training to DVARA’s staff to conduct water quality testing for local farmers and offer corrective actions based on the results. This model mirrors our existing Alliance for Responsible Aquaculture (ARA) program, with a key difference: DVARA’s staff take the lead in engaging with farmers and carrying out the on-ground activities.
DVARA staff delivering a water quality report to a local fish farmer.
The project has now been active for three months, and we’ve had the opportunity to preliminarily assess the efficacy of the program. We’re excited to share some of our initial findings with you.
Our Progress
Of the four phases discussed in our previous post, we’re currently in Phase 3: Project Implementation & Sample Collection. Below are the highlights of what we’ve accomplished so far:
Total farmer involvement: We engaged 20 farmers in the project, with 6 of them personally and consistently dropping their water samples at the aqua lab every two weeks. The remaining farmers had their samples either collected by DVARA staff or submitted less regularly. Some of the challenges that contributed to this irregular participation included the distance to the lab and the competing demands of rice paddy farming.
Water quality sample collection: Over the project period, we’ve collected 128 total water samples from local fish farmers.
Training and lab setup: We trained DVARA’s technicians on water quality testing procedures and set up a lab to analyze the samples. The lab operates three days a week, and farmers receive their results on the same day, either via WhatsApp or in hard copy.
Compliance and process adherence: Our process audit showed DVARA staff generally performing the water quality testing standard operating procedures (SOPs) well. The only challenging components appear to be executing the Winkler Method for measuring dissolved oxygen, and using a microscope.
FWI staff Subrata and Manikanta interview farmers at their pond sites as part of the project monitoring and evaluation; A farmer reviews his water quality report on Whatsapp with an FWI staff member (bottom right).
Next Steps
We expect to complete this project, along with the final evaluation, by the end of the year. At that point, we will assess whether to continue or wrap up the project. Even if we choose to conclude the project, partnering with organizations like DVARA will remain a potential avenue for scaling fish welfare interventions in the future.
For an example of how we might partner with DVARA or a similar organization to scale up a future intervention, consider our satellite imagery study, for which we are currently conducting a smaller follow-up. If this follow-up study proves successful, and we decide to scale this approach, a possible program could involve giving DVARA access to satellite-derived water quality data in their region. We would then provide them with the necessary resources and training to deliver corrective actions to farmers based on this data, with the intention that the program could a) operate at scale, and b) largely be run by DVARA in this neighboring state.
In the meantime, we anticipate continuing this project for another 1–3 months, making improvements as we go. Regardless of the final outcome, we are optimistic that this project will offer valuable insights into scaling strategies for fish welfare interventions.
Grateful Acknowledgement
We would like to take a moment to express our gratitude to the team at DVARA for their dedication and hard work throughout this pilot. Their willingness to collaborate, learn new skills, and tackle the challenges of integrating fish welfare into their services has been essential to the progress we have made so far. We are excited to see what the future holds for this partnership and look forward to continuing our work together.
FWI and DVARA Staff engaged in making this project a reality at the Fish Aqua Lab in Odisha.
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