21st February, 2014
By Prince Arinze Onebunne
Aquaculture is fast gaining acceptability among Nigerians that is those who have indicated interest in self-employment. Nigerians have actually embraced fish farming long ago, but investment in animal husbandry is still at its foundation stage in the economy. The writer is not just a practical facilitator in commercial animal rearing, but a farmer of various specie of animal.
At Jovana Farms, we have imparted many aspiring agric entrepreneurs in many cities and towns in Nigeria. One of the cheap solutions to help ease the problem of unemployment in the country is for the government to create the enabling environments for jobless youths and students to set up small scale fish fingerlings producing business.
Business
Catfish fingerlings production requires low set-up capital and grows rapidly within a short period thereby generating quick and high turnover. Catfish hatchery does not need large expanse of land to succeed. If water and land/space like two rooms size is already available, then you don’t have problem starting this project. With N180, 000 one can set up a small scale fish fingerlings producing business. What one requires here is a hatching pond of (12ft by 4ft) which can be constructed into a shape of box by any experienced carpenter and plumber with 6 planks, nails and 3×2 woods then lay tarpaulin material inside the box, put clean water and start your hatchery activities.
But, if one prefers to go for Grow-out fish farming (raising fingerlings to table sized fish suitable for consumption). It will take about N120, 000 to construct a standard concrete fish pond (16ft by 10ft) and stock it with 1,000 fingerlings and feed them till maturity.
It is advisable to buy fish juveniles of 22weeks old than fingerlings of six to eight weeks. In addition, you don’t have to depend solely on expensive imported feed, since one can learn to produce local cheap feed.
Catfish is very reproductive six females and two males fish Broodstock can give you up to 20, 000 fingerlings at a go. I have witnessed 32,700 at once in my farm; if you do not have a place to expand, you can start selling their fingerlings for N10 to N15 per one depending on the specie.
An undergraduate or the unemployed can start with this amount and make profits. If you buy them and rear for five months, you sell them and make profits. At my farm, I sell fast growing fish fingerlings and Juveniles. If well managed, this species can attain 2kg in five months.
Catfish is a popular and heavily demanded product. It is traditionally positioned as a semi-luxury product. Although relatively expensive, it is consumed by all classes of people. You don’t have to worry about marketing your catfish because presently in the country, the level of demand is higher than supply.
Profit
The aim of every fish farmer is to breed a fish to one kilogramme body weight or more in the shortest possible time, usually between four and five months if properly done. Unit prices for table sized are broadly N650 – N800 per kg at the farm gate, N950 – N1,000 at the retail outlet, and N1, 500 – N1, 800 in restaurants depending on the size. One gets more profit if one operates a market outlet to cut off shylock middlemen; I can assure prospective farmers that the profit expected from fish sales from experience is about 40 to 50 per cent above what was invested.
Potential
Currently, in Nigeria, catfish is in high demand due to its good taste, high protein content, medicinal characteristics and its appeal to a lot of people. It is available for sale in the open markets, hotels beer parlours and various relaxation joints; more interestingly parties (only special guests enjoyed this) because of the high price, thus the market potential is great.
Challenges
People find it difficult to get the fast growing specie of fish, but I am happy to tell you that in my Jovana Farms we have high quality fish fingerlings and Juveniles you can start your fish farming business with. Our catfish specie grow faster and heavier than any other catfish.
Ignorance perpetuates failure and constant loss. I have seen farmers recording losses in their farms as a result of factors they could have changed. Ignorance is deadly.
Therefore, people need to go for proper training before venturing into fish farming. Some people who started the business without the right specie of fish or without training have already shut down for lack of appropriate knowledge. They did it as a hobby, and at the end of the day, they abandoned the business because of one mistake or the other.
Supply
When I started my fish business, I laid more emphasise on how to produce quality and fast growing fish specie. I started from developing them myself, and developed the criteria for identifying the right species and compiling their data.
Today, I have succeeded in breeding quality fish fingerlings and juveniles in my farm and people come for supplies from me.
Jovana farms organizes nationwide sensitization training seminars on the practical ways of making it through small scale animal farming. Attend our nationwide seminars nearest to you and know more opportunities in fish and other animal farming. Visit us at: www.jovanafarm.com, E-mail: [email protected] or call 08033262 808, for more details.