August 20, 2009

 

Kenya to boost fish farming output by 260,564 percent

 

 

With dwindling fish stocks in lakes and other water bodies, Kenya will seek to increase food security and boost earnings by boosting fish farming production by a staggering 260,564 percent from 4,220 tonnes to 11 million tonnes.

 

The huge increase has the potential to earn KES750 billion (US$9.8 billion). The government is also in the process of rolling out an initiative to construct at least 200 fish ponds in 140 constituencies that have water resources such as rivers.

 

There is a shortage of fish in the world market and farmers should take advantage of the opportunity, said Fisheries Development Ministry Permanent Secretary, Micheni Ntiba.

 

Already coffee farmers in Tetu are abandoning their plantations in favour of fish ponds as coffee income fall sharply. The coffee farmers have set up a fish farming group that has pooled resources to construct three fish ponds on a one-acre wetland owned by the Nyeri County Council at Aguthi.

 

A kg of coffee earns a farmer KES10, while fish can get up to KES450 per kg.

 

The region's fish demand is also high as most households are now more knowledgeable on the health benefits of eating fish as compared to other meats.

 

Should the new initiatives succeed, Kenya would be in a better position to take advantage of a huge fish market in Europe, Asia, North America as well as the domestic and African markets, according to Ntiba.