Commercial fish farmers in Kenya will soon be able to acquire mono-sex Tilapia fingerlings for breeding for anticipated better returns following successful trials by the state-run fish breeding agency.
According to officials, the move by the central Kenya-based Sagana Aquaculture Centre (SAC), is expected to bring relief to market-oriented farmers, who have endured myriad problems including over-breeding of fish stock and stunted growth.
"The single sex fingerlings are expected to control the problem of stunted growth associated with over breeding in Tilapia ponds, which in turn result in reduced market value of the fish on maturity due to low weight and size," said Benson Thiga, the Officer in Charge of the Centre.
Meanwhile, Thiga has urged farmers to maintain the recommended stocking rate of two fish per square meter for maximum returns. With fish starting to breed at three and a half months, pond populations expand rapidly creating a high competition for food, air and space with stunting as the main consequence, he warned.
According to Thiga, farmers with a reliable water supply should consider fish farming as a viable venture since one acre is likely to yield up to three tons of fish worth some 600,000 Kenya shillings (about US$8,830).
The SAC, established in 1984 is managed by Kenya's Livestock and Fisheries Development Ministry as a source of reliable fish farming information and quality fish seeds for farmers. The centre is also encouraging farmers to integrate fish farming with other farm activities such as poultry and dairy, whose products could be utilised by fish, while animal waste from chicken and cattle could be used to fertilise fish ponds.
Africa Interactive
To ease your site search, article categories are at bottom of page.
