Thursday, August 1, 2019

How To Start A Profitable Fish Farming In Zambia

People living in Zambia can learn the skills on how to start fish farming business here in Zambia,

From Small scale fish farming business in Zambia pdf, fish farming project proposal in Zambia, challenges of fish farming in Zambia etc.. 

Fish Farming In Zambia 


Fish farming is the raising of fish for personal use or profit. It is sometimes called fish culture.

Why Do We Raise Fish In Zambia?

By raising fish we make better use of our land and our water.

By raising fish your family will have more to eat. The protein in fish will keep your family strong and healthy. Fish are tasty, like chicken, sheep and goat.

If your family is not too big you will have more fish than you need for food and you can sell them at the market.

One of the most popular agribusiness in Zambia is fish farming and for good reasons, Gone are the days when the only means of getting fish is by catching it in the local rivers and ponds through trial and errors. Today, the modern fish farm practice has made it possible to grow fish in the farms and control the input.

If you are thinking of business to start now, I recommend you start Catfish Farming in Zambia. If you are an existing farmer and you are looking to expand your farm capacity, I’d encourage you add fish farming to your line of business.

Fish farming (especially catfish) is most compatible with poultry rearing as you can use the poultry drops to produce the feed for your fish.

Benefits Of Starting Fish Farming In Zambia 


1. Fish is Popular

Fishery products is by far the most popular animal products in the market, constituting more than 60% of meat produce in the Zambia market.

2. Fish is A Source of Protein

Fish is one of the highest source of protein. It is a low-fat high quality protein that is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as D and B2 (riboflavin). 

Fish is also very rich in calcium and phosphorus and is equally a great source of minerals, such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and potassium.

3. Fish Sells Quick

Fish sells faster than any other animal products in the market and is relatively cheaper than meats, making it the number one choice when it comes to affordability.

Types Of Fish You Can Start Farming In Zambia. 

Haven seen the benefits involved in fish farming, let’s now proceed to decide which specie of fish we want to farm. Below are some of the most popular fish species that is suitable for Aquaculture.

1. Start Cat Fish Farming In Zambia –

Even though Catfish is not the most popular fish in Zambia this fish species is by far the most cultivated in Zambia. One thing good about catfish is that it is one of the easiest fish species to cultivate. So, people naturally flow to the direction of fish specie they found to be the easiest to cultivate.

2. Start Tilapia Fish Farming –

Second most popular fish in Zambia aquaculture industry, Tilapia is a fish species that lives in fresh shallow water. 

Tilapia is very easy to cultivate and very popular in Zambia market, it reproduces very rapidly and grows fast too.

3. Start Mackerel (Titus) –

This is by far the most popular fish in Zambia market but so sad it’s not farmed. All Mackerel Fish are “wild caught” but some farmer in Nigeria are considering the possibility of creating artificial salty water that will be similar to sea water where mackerel can only survive. Can this deep blue sea fish specie be cultivated artificially? Only time will tell but for now, you have to focus your attention to Catfish and Tilapia.

How To Start A Lucrative Fish Farming Business In Zambia 


1. Start By Securing a Land

Any location is good since fish doesn’t cause any environmental disturbance. Look for land where you can get it cheap and buy. Depending on the capacity you wants to operate on, half plot of land is just good enough for average fish farm.

However, you may go for something bigger like full plot or two if you can afford it probably for convenience sake. If you already have a compound with leftover space you thing can accommodate two or three ponds, you may use it.

2. Construct Fish Ponds

You need to engage the service of expert pond construction engineer or you go to another fish farm to get the specification and construction requirements. The plumbing work must be properly done to ensure proper drainage.

3. Dig a Borehole For The Fish 

Adequate water supply is the lifeblood of fish farm and lack of it may result to disaster because water need to be changed on regular interval. Naturally available sources of water such as borehole and river water is the most suitable. Rain water and tap water from chemically treated source is not recommended for fish cultivation.

4. Install Overhead Tank

This is the water reservoir from which water is supplied to your ponds. This tank has to be connected to your ponds through plumbing system to make it convenient for water to flow into your ponds when needed.

5. Get Juvenile Fish

Get your juvenile from another farm that specializes in supplying it. You need to go for the high yield specie of catfish or tilapia and make sure you are getting it from a healthy farm.

6. Get Training

Not the kind of training you get from one day seminars; you need to get attached to a fish farm for proper apprenticeship. For you to properly learn this trade, you need at least two months training on this.

Remember that your investment is at stake, trial and error is not good in business except you have unlimited funds to experiment with.

This feasibility study prepared for a catfish farm capacity of 10,000 and fingerlings of high breed catfish where to be stocked. The expenses from pond construction to marketing is considered. The farm is to have 10 concrete ponds of flow through system and each pond is to contains 1,000 stocked catfish.

Cost of Constructing Each Pond is as Follows

Each pond is 3m x 2.5m by 1.4m, each pond consumes 210 blocks and each bag of cement for 30 blocks. Hence 210 x 10 = 2,100 blocks. 2,100/30 = 70 bags of cement needed. 2000 x 70 = 140,000 KSH.

There is no doubt that  starting a fish farming in Zambia is among the list of lucrative agribusiness in the country. You need to get it right by drawing complete business plan and following it to the later. You need to apply good management skill and follow the acceptable standard. If you do all these, you are sure to make good profit from your fish farming in Kenya or where else you choose t set it up.
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