TILAPIA BREEDING DEMONSTRATION POND OF MANDIANGIN FRESHWATER AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT CENTER (MFADC) LOCATED IN BANJAR DISTRICT, SOUTH KALIMANTAN  

Business aquaculture on Nile tilapia Oreochromis sp. is rapidly developed in south Kalimantan especially in Banjar district. Breeding, fingerling production and grow out are the segments that fish farmers counting on to support their livelihood.  However, the low quality of brood stock, low technology application and less capable fish farmers become the bottleneck in developing tilapia production in this area.

In 2015, MFADC as one of the technical implementing unit (TIU) of Directorate General of Aquaculture (DGA) conducting the tilapia breeding demonstration pond to some fish farmers group in Banjar district.  The groups are Usaha Bersama, Intan Sari, Bina Bersama Gadung Kuning, Bina Marina, and Patarahan Timur.  The aims of this project are disseminate the breeding technic by using good quality brood stock, increase the fingerling production, and encourage the farmers in good hatchery practices certification.  

There are two different major things in running the tilapia culture, the brood stock and the pond structure.  The good quality brood stock is coming from MFADC by individual selection genetic improvement process. Result shows the shorter rearing period to reach 5 - 7 cm fingerling from 60 days previously to become 45 days.  In addition, different structure model of the pond bottom makes the fingerling harvest easier.  The amount of harvested larvae and fingerling during September to December for each farmer groups is shown as table 1.

The more organized tilapia production leads one of the farmer groups (Patarahan Timur) to gain the good hatchery practices (CPIB) certificate, while the other groups are in the process.  Collaboration with fish extension is expected to support the dissemination of brood stock and production process.