Kisumu County today joined the rest of the nation in marking the annual aquaculture day at Mr. Joseph Hunters’ Farm in Onjiko /Awasi Ward, Nyando Sub County.
The event marked annually every 20th of May, is the brain child of ABDP initiated on the 29th September, 2020.
This year’s theme investing in climate smart aquaculture for prosperity, is to ensure that farmers are at the forefront of sustainable aquaculture that is safe and adheres to climate smart practices.
The objective of the event is to bring together aquaculture stakeholders to ether to exchange knowledge and skills and to showcase innovations along the various nodes of aquaculture value chains.
The stakeholders in attendance were officers from the County Fisheries Department, Kenya Fisheries services, ABDP regional officers, ABDP team from Kisumu, Great Lakes Hatcheries and Feeds, Captain Feeds, Aquarech, Farm Africa, State Department of Fisheries, Apondo Fish farm, AAK among other fish farmers.
Speaking while presiding over the event, the Chief Officer for Agriculture , Livestock, Fisheries and Blue Economy, Mr. Erick Omondi Ogallo who also represented the CECM, Hon. Kenneth Onyango thanked the ABDP for organizing the event besides the support given to the smallholder farmers in terms of pond liners, predator kits and extension services that have impacted increased production of the farmers.
He encouraged the farmers to go commercial and emphasized continuity even after the donors exit. The Chief Officer further challenged the farmers to take farming seriously into the future because Kisumu is well endowed with good rainfall patterns, water resources and a favourable climate.
Mr. Ogallo urged the farmers to embrace innovative smart aquaculture practices for optimal income. He also advised them to take advantage of the investments along Fisheries being supported by other donors to expand production.
He highlighted that the ABDP framework has since changed and now they will focus on cage fish farming and that they will build three landing sites in Kisumu, while for fish pond farmers, they will be supported in groups through grants whereby he urged them to make applications for the grants before the deadline date of 22nd of May, 2024.
The components of the grants include: groups, youths, cottage feeds and fish traders.
Concerning the effects of floods experienced in Kisumu, he said a team will carry out assessment to ascertain the impact before any assistance is given. Still on climate issues he encouraged the farmers to plant fruits and agroforestry trees to mitigate climate change risks.
The Chief Officer, also called on farmers to embrace insurance services where they can save and be compensated whenever they face disasters.
The Assistant County Commissioner Mr. Shadrack Kirui who represented the Deputy County Commissioner, Nyando Sub County urged the farmers to keep fish for food and income.
He implored on them to embrace projects by donors since they provide job opportunities and income to the people.
He also challenged them to increase production for both internal and external markets to reduce fish importation while they also practice integrated farming.
The County Project Coordinator, Mr. Kevin Wamira on his part said the project has had interventions that are climate smart. These include the issuance of pond liners and predator kits, trained SAGs on kitchen gardening and supplied cone gardens to the farmers, in the drive of using fish, they have encouraged farmers to embrace integrated farming and they have also trained extension officers on environmental safeguards, trained youth entrepreneurs on black soldier flies a smart intervention for supplementary feeding of fish, poultry among other pets.
Farmers received tree seedlings of both agroforestry and fruit seedlings that they are to plant in their farms.
