The project aims to pilot a blockchain traceability system for a new WorldFish fast-growing variety of carp aquaculture among select participants in Jessore Bangladesh.
WorldFish, in partnership with Chennai-based startup ByteAlly Software, are developing “Feed the Future Bangladesh Aquaculture Activity” (BAA) project in Jessore Bangladesh. BAA is a five-year PIO activity (2018-2023) with funding of $24.5 million awarded by The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and operates in twenty-one districts of southwestern Bangladesh and two districts in the southeast.
The project intends to foster sustained, positive aquaculture sector growth through an inclusive market systems approach. To add value to these efforts, the project applies blockchain technology so aquaculture farmers, hatchery owners and investors benefit from increased market acceptability of their products, reduced costs and overheads spent in damages.
The project aims to pilot a blockchain traceability system for a new WorldFish fast-growing variety of carp aquaculture among select participants in Jessore Bangladesh. The purpose is to create a traceable environment, including gathering market-relevant data from all aquaculture supply chain participants using mobile and web applications.
ByteAlly has performed extensive fieldwork in gathering initial business requirements and analyzing the existing infrastructure. The company presented its results in a recent webinar on aquaculture value-chain transparency held on August 5, 2021 with industry leaders along the value chain attending the event.
“At ByteAlly, we have invested in building an ERP that can be configured and handed over as easy-to-use mobile apps to farmers that will upload data to blockchain systems. Such aiding tools are critical and make blockchain projects shorter and cheaper, making traceability initiatives affordable is in the best interest of all the stakeholders involved,” said Karthikeyan Mani, CEO of ByteAlly Software.
Farmers can now upload data via the web and mobile applications. Despite being in its pilot stage, the project has successfully boarded fifty stakeholders. Data from the pilot project will be valuable in determining the following phases and how they can be further improved and leveraged. The project expects to reach 1,000 smallholder farmers and other market actors in a 2-3 year period. Based on the success of this carp variety, BAA and ByteAlly will market the solution to other carp and seafood varieties in Bangladesh with a potential reach of 10,000 farms in a 3-5 year period.
“I dream that every aquaculture farmer in Bangladesh receives the correct value for their hard work. I firmly believe that blockchain technology can help us realize that dream,” said Md. Imtiaj Haque, senior market system specialist, Bangladesh Aquaculture Activity WorldFish Bangladesh.
