Zambia is poised to increase its aquaculture production to 28,500 tonnes per annum in the next five years from 8,500 tonnes due to increased fish farming activities, says the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
FAO indicates that tilapia will account for 40 percent of fish produced by Zambian aquaculture firms, which is estimated to be valued at US$57 million.
According to FAO’s latest report on aquaculture farming in Zambia, titled Tilapia Farming Can Build Food Security, achieving the anticipated increased harvest might be a challenge if aquaculture programmes are not enhanced.
The harvest would require feed costing about US$45 million projections for the next five years considers a 235 percent increase in the country’s aquaculture production with a national harvest rising to at least 28,500 tonnes by 2017, reads the report.
FOA says developing a profitable aquaculture sub-sector that accelerates economic growth will require implementations of new techniques that foster investment in fish farming.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock’s chief aquaculture officer Mulenga Musonda says the consumption of fish per capita has reduced to less than 62 percent.
In an interview, Mr Musonda said although the consumption has continued to reduce, Zambia has the potential to improve on aquaculture with its sufficient water resources.
Mr Musonda urged players in the aquaculture sector to consider fish farming as a business to increase production and not simply for food security.
There is need for investors and small and medium-scale enterprises in the aquaculture sector to prepare business plans as a way of providing meaningful insight on how to become successful aqua-farmers, he said.
He said the sector has fewer technicians, adding that Zambia needs about 20,000 extension officers to boost the sector.
Zambia Daily Mail