July 22, 2015

Nutreco and Oxfam Novib partner on fish farming project in Nigeria

 

Nutreco and Oxfam Novib have partnered on a one-year pilot project to promote sustainable and inclusive fish farming for smallholder farmers in Nigeria.

As part of the initiative, both organisations will work closely with the Farmer Development Union (FADU) and the Justice, Peace and Development Commission Ibadan (JPDC).

Nigeria is currently witnessing a growing business for aquaculture, with an expanding market for catfish, a popular dish among the locals.

While the country's fish supply is based mainly on imports, the government is seeking to stimulate domestic production. Fish farming could become a source of steady income in a nation where 61% of the population reportedly lived in poverty in 2010.

According to Farah Karimi, the executive director Oxfam Novib, the project with Nutreco will help small farmers, especially women, in achieving a sustainable livelihood.

Nutreco warned that unbridled growth of fish farming can lead to environmental problems, for instance, the discharge of waste water from fish ponds. Thus, the Nutreco-Oxfam Novib project supports small-scale fish farmers to produce in a more environmentally friendly manner whilst increasing yield for each pond.

"The private sector has an essential role to play in contributing to sustainable agriculture and food security. There is always the combination of responsibility and opportunity to bring know-how to the farmers in countries we operate in," Knut Nesse, the CEO of Nutreco, said. "With on-site training and provision of high quality feed, we can help Nigerian farmers to increase yields and operate more sustainably. Producing according to the international standards in our industry will also help them in gaining access to international markets."

Nutreco is an important player in the Nigerian fish feed market and has its own production facility in another joint-venture.