Zeyad Attallah and his Farah Fish Farm team

“The KAFA’A project has created an entire new opportunity for me and the Ghor Al-Safi farmers. By introducing the concept of growing fish in irrigation storage ponds and providing the needed seeds, we increased our income and expanded our business in a way we never thought was possible,” explains Zeyad Attallah, a fish farmer from Ghot Al-Safi.

Mr. Attallah worked at the Jordan Valley Fish Company, a private sector company involved in fish production on national level. During the implementation of a fish farming initiative in irrigation holding ponds, the USAID-funded KAFA’A contacted the Jordan Valley Fish Company for technical backstopping and to provide fish fingerlings, which the company imported from Egypt.

In the course of his interaction with KAFA'A, Mr. Attallah realized the economic potential of fish production from small farms and saw a business opportunity for himself. So, he contacted fish retailers in Amman to market the fish. In so doing, he provided a critical bridge to link small farmers in rural areas to fish marketers and consumers in urban areas.

	USAID-Funded KAFA’A project provides capital funding to small local farmers to help them increase their income through non-traditional means.

In an effort to benefit the largest possible number of farmers, particularly poorer farmers, the USAID-funded KAFA’A Project conducted a national assessment of community-based organizations to identify potential collaborators and understand their needs for managerial and technical assistance. Based on the findings of those diagnostic studies, KAFA’A initiated a fish farming activity in the Southern Ghor region south of the Dead Sea.

After a series of organizational meetings and capacity building workshops with selected cooperatives and farmer associations, Tilapia fish were introduced into irrigation storage ponds on 56 farms. Seed capital was provided to cooperative members through revolving grants. The aim of this non-traditional income generating activity was to increase the economic productivity of irrigation water through its dual use for fish and crop production, stimulate rural employment opportunities, and strengthen the management capacity of farmer cooperatives and associations in the process.

The fish farming initiative began with 56 farmers in Ghor Al-Safi Agricultural Cooperative and was later extended to the Ghor Madsous Agricultural Cooperative under the technical supervision of KAFA’A and the Near East Foundation. In addition to achieving its objectives, the fish-farming initiative proved to be an economic stimulus to other stakeholders. Mr. Zeyad Attallah was one of those beneficiaries.

	Minister of Agriculture tastes one of Farah Fish Farm’s fingerlings.

Eventually, Mr. Attallah decided to start his own business and rented a nearby farm in Karama, some 100 kilometers from Ghor Al-Safi. His farm includes 12 irrigation ponds which he uses to collect and store the Tilapia produced by farmers. In this way, he keeps a fresh stock of fish alive, while negotiating marketing details. This role as middle man guaranteed the steady supply of a quality product in accordance to market demand, commanding the highest possible price for himself and the producers.

In addition, Mr. Attallah expanded his business to reproduce fingerlings to supply small farmers for the next round of production, thus eliminating dependence on foreign imports. The KAFA’A initiative in fish farming owes much of its success to the entrepreneurial spirit of Zeyad Attallah, who is now widely known and respected as a fish marketer, fingerling producer, and technical expert in how to generate income through fish farming in irrigation holding ponds.