The Sunday News
Dumisani Nsingo, Senior Farming Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Commercial Farmers Union (ZCFU) in conjunction with World Vision will hold a fish farming production in Insiza district on Friday in an effort to encourage people to venture into the agricultural enterprise which is deemed to be having quick returns and relatively easy to manage.
ZCFU Matabeleland region programmes coordinator Mr Dingani Ndlovu said it was important for both rural and urban dwellers to venture into aquaculture to enhance their household food security as well as to generate income.
“Fish farming or pisciculture is one of the food technologies which are quickly being embraced in rural and urban communities because it is easy to manage and it’s also a cheap source of nutrition as well as a source of income thus it plays a pivotal role in improving household livelihoods.
“Aqua farming is a quick return enterprise and those farmers that don’t have large tracts of land can practice it on their small piece of land in what we can also term as backyard fisheries. Most of our farmers are livestock farmers but can embark in fish farming as an additional enterprise,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said aquaculture was one of the few farming enterprises which can withstand effects of drought in the wake of climate change.
“Fish farming can be used by households as a simple strategy to mitigate against the effects of climate change in the face of declining productivity in other farming sectors such as livestock and cropping. It is also an environmentally friendly project because of its environmental sustainability nature,” said Mr Ndovu.
Demand is increasing for fish and fish protein, which has resulted in widespread overfishing in wild fisheries.
“Participants will be taught on how to construct ponds and knowing the different types of ponds as well as controlling the environment for properly breeding fish.
“They will also be taught on how to produce fingerlings because at the moment farmers are getting them from Masvingo and Harare and that’s not sustainable,” said Mr Ndlovu.
He said ZCFU was looking for funders to assist it in carrying out a number of fish farming production workshops in various parts in Matabeleland region.
“We are also looking for financial assistance to be able to reach out to youths and women, which are our main target since this project is less laborious.
“For this particular workshop it’s being facilitated by World Vision which will also provide the trainers and we are also going to have lead farmers that are already practicing fish farming there in Insiza,” said Mr Ndlovu.
@DNsingo
