Migori County Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries (CECM) Lucas Mosenda has urged the residents of Migori to diversify their economic ventures by embracing fish farming.
Mosenda said that the fishing venture is becoming a lucrative business and called upon farmers to embrace the venture to reap the benefits.
“I am calling upon maize, beans and horticultural farmers to also embrace fish farming to diversify their economic activities for more profit generation,” said Mosenda.
He said that the county has investors who have ventured into hatcheries of fingerlings and feed production.
Mosenda acknowledged that, initially, the biggest challenge in fish farming has been the acquisition of the fingerlings and expensive fish feeds.
The county official also disclosed that the county has been employing extension field officers to help fish farmers with the requisite skills of how to run their fish farming ventures.
The Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP), funded by IFAD, has also partnered with Migori County to boost the fishing enterprise in the South Nyanza Region.
Migori has also established ‘Smark Kiosks’ (cold rooms) at Isebania, Sori, Uriri and Rongo markets to reduce post-harvest losses.
Mosenda explained that the icing plant at Sori Beach has also helped to address the challenges of post-harvest loss for the fishing community that depends on Lake Victoria.
According to Mosenda, the county has 115 registered groups that have ventured into fish production.
By Makokha Khaoya
