Aquaculture farmer organizations and cluster management: concepts and experiences

Improved quality and safety of shrimp
The cooperative, through its regulations, helps to improve the overall quality of 
the shrimp being produced by members. The production of good-quality shrimp is 
supported by an internal control system where five to ten neighbouring farms are 
clustered together and their practices monitored by the cooperative. Food safety is also 
one of the focus issues for the DoF, and is covered extensively by the GAP certification 
system. Free antibiotic residual test services are available for GAP-certified farmers, 
and farmers normally check their shrimp a few weeks prior to the harvest. Results and 
records of residual tests are kept at the cooperative office.
Environment
The cooperative supports a local conservation group that conducts various activities 
to protect the wetlands it is located in, such as World Wetland Day, fish stocking, 
cleaning, education and tourism, patrolling the area for illegal fishing (traditional 
fishing is allowed), recycling renewable items and wastewater management. The 
cooperative and the NACA field coordinator conduct salinity checks for groundwater 
and irrigation canals and water quality checks for the river (supported by the DoF and 
the EU buyer). 
PROGRESS TO DATE
The cooperative has made good progress in a short space of time. Since its establishment 
in March 2007 with 52 members, the cooperative has grown to 158 members. It is also 
a member of FOSCOT, which has approximately 900 members.
In 2008, 73 percent of cooperative members bought inputs on credit from the 
cooperative and sold 500 tonnes of shrimp through the cooperative. Sixty percent 
of these farmers sold to brokers, 14 of the 20 farmers chosen sold under a contract 
arrangement with the local processing plant, and 10 to 15 farmers sold to the 
government’s emergency fund. So far in 2009, 80 percent of members have accessed 
the cooperative’s input credit service. Eighteen farmers have sold their shrimp to the

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Appendix 1
government’s emergency fund, three farmers have already sold under the contract 
farming arrangement with the local processing plant and a further nine farmers plan to 
do so before the end of the year. 
Even though the majority of members are still selling to brokers (and some to 
the government’s emergency fund) as they were doing before the cooperative was 
established, in less than two years the cooperative has developed links with at least 
two new output markets (the EU and the national seafood processing plant through
FOSCOT). This is an important achievement, which the cooperative will continue to 
build on, especially with new opportunities arising for group certification such as with 
Fairtrade.