Does the choice of tilapia species in smallholder farms impact household income and dietary diversity in Malawi?

Aquaculture has great potential to increase farmers’ income and provide nutritious aquatic foods to consumers. However, little is known about adoption constraints for different species and their effects on farm performance and household welfare among smallholder farmers in developing countries like Malawi. Using cross-sectional data from tilapia farms across Malawi’s three regions, we conducted a regression analysis to investigate which tilapia species farmers produce and the impact of this choice on income. Our findings reveal that household characteristics, institutional factors, and farm characteristics all influence farmers’ choice of tilapia species. Furthermore, we found that producing both Coptodon rendalli and Oreochromis shiranus species positively correlates with household income. Additionally, our results indicate a positive associations between integrated aquaculture and household income and diet diversity. Our findings also suggest that the production of Coptodon rendalli, Oreochromis shiranus and a combination of Coptodon rendalli and Oreochromis shiranus is positively associated with diets.