Fish Farming in Kenya
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Investing in fish farming in Kenya is becoming one of the promising ventures especially for young people. This sector is one of the oldest agricultural sub-sectors introduced to Kenya in the early stages of pre-independence. There has been a milestone for this subsector, despite a series of ups and downs it has faced along the way. There are currently several fish breeding and multiplication centers spread across the country. The focus is on ensuring the idea is borrowed and embraced by many as we tackle the issue of food sustainability and wealth creation.
Today, fish farming in Kenya has become a key economic activity and source of income for many Kenyan families. Therefore, you can find many fish farms established for commercial purposes as you cross the country. While some farmers practice this productive economic activity for profit, others do it for family consumption. However, whether fish farming in Kenya is for commercial or subsistence purposes, these fish farms have contributed significantly to the nutritional needs and economy of the country.
Fish farming in Kenya, like any other viable business, needs proper management for its success. The most critical phase is the juvenile phase, where the fish are young and delicate. The growth rate in such a period is very abundant, and the nutrient requirements are very high. Other management practices are also important and should not be overlooked.
How to Start a Fish Farming in Kenya - Fish Farming in Kenya
If you are considering joining the Kenyan Fish Farmers, it is crucial that you consider several important factors. Here is a step-by-step guide to follow to get into this lucrative economic activity.
Choosing the Right Land: Fish Farming In Kenya
For commercial fish farming in Kenya, it will be suitable if you choose clay ponds, as they are the most suitable. Make sure the terrain chosen is relatively flat and free of contamination. Additionally, the land must have a reliable water source, as the quality and quantity of water you use affects production.
Construction and Design of Fish Ponds: Fish Farming In Kenya
Make sure the pond design you choose is compatible with the species you intend to keep. The pond should support the growth of your fish. An ideal tank design also ensures maximum production and good health for your fish.
Selection of Appropriate Fish Species: Fish Farming In Kenya
The choice of a particular species depends on the location of the farm, the climate and the market. For example, tilapia is known to be in high demand across the country. You can also choose a species that is easy to keep in the climate of your current location.
Profitable Fish Farming in Kenya [2022]
Feeding the Fish - Fish Farming In Kenya
Feeding your fish quality, nutritious food ensures rapid growth and maximum production. You can buy ready-to-use supplementary feeds in the market, but for commercial fish farming in Kenya, manufactured supplementary feeds are essential.
• Fish should be fed regularly.
• Commonly fed twice a day (early morning and late evening)
• Avoid sudden changes in the type of food offered to fish to minimize the impact. The most common types of feed used are fish pellets, crumbs, or regular poultry feed.
• The secret to success is to stock your own fish, know the source, specify a consistent feeding schedule for your fish, and choose to feed at 7am and 7pm.
• Change the water every 3 days and always clean the lake.
• Separate the fish each month
• The most successful part is that you don't vaccinate the fish, check them periodically for their behavior
• After the first two months, switch to local foods and give them the right mix.
• All ingredients must be correct.
There are several types of fish food for different species, including tilapia. You can also buy ingredients and mix them yourself. This will ensure that your food is not lacking in any of the necessary nutrients. Before mixing feed, obtain relevant information from fishing experts. The pond can also be fertilized to grow plankton, which the fish feed on.
• Organic and inorganic fertilizers are used. Most smallholders use compost and organic fertilizers.
• Poultry droppings and manure are the most commonly used manures.
• Proper tank fertilization means less money spent on feed, healthy fish and good yields. Market Once you have chosen the land, build a well-designed pond, raise your fish, and when you reach the harvesting stage, you need a good market.
Importance of Fish Farming In Kenya - Fish Farming In Kenya
1. Almost everyone likes to eat fish, which means you can sell all your fish at the local market.
2. For best yields, separate the fish into three different sizes; small, medium and large at harvest time. This will facilitate the sale.
3. Fish is also in high demand on the international market. After harvest, send your fish to market as soon as possible.
4. Delay reduces fish quality, resulting in losses.
Different Types of Fish Farming Methods in Kenya - Fish Farming in Kenya
If you are considering starting fish farming in Kenya and hope to be successful, get the proper fit training and as much knowledge and ideas as possible by researching online and visiting fish farms.
• Irrigation Method - Fish Farming In Kenya
Unlike other methods, the basic requirement of this one is to have a pond or ditch containing water. This method is good because the fish are fed artificially and the waste is used as fertilizer.
• Cage System - Fish Farming In Kenya
Cage system method uses cages found in lakes, oceans and ponds. This method is more suitable for large-scale fish farming due to space. It takes up less space compared to other methods.
• Composite Fish Culture: Fish Farming In Kenya
This type of fish farming allows imported and local fish to coexist in the same pond. So it saves a lot of space.
• Integrated Recycling System - Fish Farming In Kenya
This is the largest scale fish farming in Kenya method. In addition, large plastic tanks are located in a greenhouse. The hydroponic beds are placed near the plastic tanks where the fish will then be recycled.
See Also; Farming: A Simple (But Complete) Guide in Goat Farming In Kenya,
See Also; 11 Reasons Why You Should Go Into Snail Farming In Kenya
Profitability of Fish Farming In Kenya - Fish Farming In Kenya
Income and Profitability of Fish Farming in Kenya
Fish farming in Kenya is a profitable business idea in Kenya. For example, a farmer from Kiambu started his business with about Ksh. 20,000 and started making a profit after just six months. His first big money from his fish farm was Ksh. 150,000.
Currently, the farmer earns between Ksh. 60,000 and Ksh. 100,000 per month from the sale of fish and fingerlings. This is just one example to confirm how profitable fish farming in Kenya can be.
Fish Farming in Kenya Problems
The most important time to be aware of these diseases is before you even bring the fish home. Inspect the fish you intend to purchase and look for symptoms. Here is an alphabetical list of the most common problems and diseases that can affect fish and their environment:
Ammonia Poisoning. High levels of ammonia can build up in your aquarium. This usually happens when a tank is newly installed or when many new fish are added at the same time. Symptoms include red or purple gills and/or difficulty breathing at the surface of water. The ammonia level can be reduced with a neutralizer and a 50% water change. To avoid this, fill the tank slowly, do not overfeed it, remove food scraps and change the water regularly. Test your water often to catch problems like this early.
Nitrite Poisoning. Nitrite increases generally follow ammonia increases. Brown or tan gills and panting fish on the surface of the water are symptoms. Treatment is similar to ammonia poisoning. Keep in mind that nitrite is more deadly than ammonia, so it's crucial that you test your tank water constantly until the nitrite level drops to zero.
Columnaris, a common bacterial infection, presents as mold-like lesions in fish. Poor water quality and inadequate nutrition are the causes. This disease is highly contagious and can spread from fish to fish and tank to tank. Medications are available for treatment. Your tank should undergo a thorough cleaning to prevent reinfection.
Velvet. Velvet is caused by a parasite called Oödinium. Symptoms include the appearance of a velvety film on the skin that looks like golden or rust-colored dust. You may even see your fish trying to eliminate parasites. Advanced disease progression leads to weight loss and shortness of breath. Copper sulphate treatment is recommended. It should be used according to the manufacturer's instructions for ten full days to ensure that the parasite is completely eradicated.
Fin Rot. A common bacterial infection that often occurs along with other illnesses. The white, ragged edges of the fins are symptoms of this disease. Antibiotics and a deep cleaning of the tank should remedy this situation.
Ich. White spots or red streaks of blood are typical symptoms of Ich. This skin infection can be fatal for a fish stressed by poor diet or dirty habitat. The drug should be administered for 10-14 days to ensure the destruction of all parasites and carrier cysts.
Problems Facing Fish Farming in Kenya - Fish Farming in Kenya
A recent study in one of the municipalities aimed at uncovering opportunities in the fish value chain identified five main challenges, namely low production/productivity; limited supply of fingerlings, limited added value, quality food limited and limited access to food. . Market.
1. Lack of effective and cheap feeds made on farms for different stages of fish development. Fish feed is a key part of any fish farming in Kenya business, as fish nutrition accounts for 40-50% of the total variable production costs in fish farming.
2. Insufficient availability and quality of fingerlings for stocking.
3. Limited knowledge of investments in aquaculture.
4. Lack of information on the economic performance of different fish farming systems.
5. Different species of farmed fish
Types of Fish in Kenya - Fish Farming in Kenya
There are several different species of fish that are farmed; the most common fish species are salmon, carp, tilapia, catfish and cod.
Tilapia Fish Farming in Kenya - Fish farming in Kenya
Tilapia is a hardy, easy-to-grow warm-water fish. You don't need to have a "blue" thumb, but it helps to do a bit of planning before embarking on tilapia farming in Kenya. You want to set up a cultivation system that is easy to maintain and that adapts to your lifestyle.
Tilapia is good to eat and has tender white fillets. There are hundreds of tilapia recipes, so you can create healthy new meals for your home. Fresh tilapia is in demand, not only for home consumption, but also for restaurants and seafood restaurants.
Ornamental Fish Farming in Kenya - Fish farming in Kenya
Ornamental fish farming in Kenya business is estimated to grow at a steady pace over the next 15 years. However, despite the growing Kenyan domestic demand, very few of our local farmers seem to have taken up this idea.
As such, the niche-specific (Ornamental fish farming in Kenya)market has had to contend with an under-supply for many years. In fact, the vast majority of ornamental fish sold in Kenya and Africa in general are imported mostly from Asia, Israel, Eastern Europe.
Catfish Farming in Kenya - Fish farming in Kenya
The African catfish (Clarias gariepinus) is a fast-growing species of fish native to African waters. In Kenya, it is found in artificial lakes, rivers and commercial fish farms, where catfish are farmed and raised in ponds and fish ponds.
Catfish- fish farming in Kenya is attractive not only for its rapid growth rate, but also for its ability to withstand poor water quality, its ability to breathe oxygen directly from the atmosphere, and its high meat yield.
Catfish - fish farming in Kenya can be a profitable business if the right processes are followed from pond creation, storage, fish pond management and finally harvesting.
Salmon Fish Farming in Kenya - Fish Farming in Kenya
Salmon is one of the most popular species of fish, with Atlantic salmon being the most commonly farmed. Two other varieties of Pacific salmon are also raised: Chinook and Coho. Farmed salmon are vaccinated to prevent disease outbreaks and rarely require additional medication. We often have doubts about the color differences between wild salmon and farmed salmon: farmed salmon are not dyed, their color comes from their diet. Salmon are fed to maintain wild fish populations.
Tuna Fish Farming in Kenya - Fish Farming in Kenya
Tuna is a saltwater fish and is important in the commercial fish farming in Kenya industry. Japan is the largest consumer of tuna and has invested a significant amount of research into studying the fish.
There are different species of tuna including bluefin tuna, albacore and albacore. Bluefin tuna populations have declined dramatically in some areas due to overfishing. Tuna farming is complex because the fish are "huge" and very active, so it is extremely difficult to simulate their natural environment.
Most tunas for human consumption are wild caught and farmed in facilities to increase weight gain. Tunas are carnivorous and eat other fish. Tuna is normally farmed in offshore pens and in some cases in recirculating systems.
Eel Fish Farming - Fish Farming In Kenya
Eel farming in Kenya emerged in the early 1950s and is considered one of the most profitable in terms of export value in the fishing industry. However, the value of the gain is largely driven by Asian markets and is culture specific.
Eels are carnivorous and catadromous fish, which means that when they are young they live in fresh water, but as they grow they migrate to the sea to reproduce, spending between 8 and 30 years in water soft before migrating.
Most eel farming takes place in Asia, with China, Japan and Taiwan being the main producers. Glass eels are preferred over glass eels because they are easier to transport and feed on artificial diets. Eel farming can take one of two different forms: high-intensity (indoor) recirculating ponds or intensive ponds.
Smart Tips - Fish Farming In Kenya
Fish farming in Kenya involves raising fish in an aquatic environment. Fish farming in Kenya can be divided into two main categories: open water and closed water fish farming. Open water farming is the most common type, where fish are kept in large ponds or ponds. Closed water fish farming is a newer type of fish farming in Kenya where fish are raised in recirculating water systems.
“Opportunities are missed because they come dressed in overalls and look like work.” So today, you can make a choice whether to spot an opportunity and continue blaming others for your misfortunes. Fish farming in Kenya presents a wonderful opportunity for anyone, young Kenyan or old, to explore.
The main advantage of fish farming in Kenya is that it is a relatively inexpensive method of food production. Fish farming in Kenya also has the potential to produce a large volume of food, which is useful in times of food shortage. Fish farming can also be ecological
The fish has a ready and proper market in the country as most Kenyans love this delicacy. Moreover, the fish is also in high demand in the international market. It is advisable to send your fish straight to market as soon as possible due to its perishable nature. You can also categorize your crop by size to maximize profits.
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