By Emily Mikwa
Fish farming in Kisumu County has received a major boost following the distribution of 264,000 fingerlings to farmers courtesy of the Aquaculture Business Development Program (ABDP).
The fingerlings were distributed across the earmarked sub counties as follows: Kisumu West 103,000, Muhoroni 29,000, Nyando 40,000 and Nyakach 92,000.
On receiving the fingerlings, the farmers were required to stock their ponds, feed the fingerlings as well as practice good pond management.
They were also advised on matters record keeping and maintenance of all the records of activities undertaken.
Further, the fish farmers were urged to take fish farming as a business in order to improve food production and nutrition status as well as increase their income as per the objective of the program “to increase the incomes, food security and nutritional status of the wider communities of poor rural households involved in aquaculture in the targeted counties”.
To ensure the sustainability of the program, farmers will incur the cost of starter mash as the program will support them with the growers mash.
The ABDP’s overall goal is to reduce poverty , increase food security and nutrition in the rural communities.
The 8 year program is jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the International Fund for Agriculture Development (IFAD). It is implemented in 15 selected Counties with high aquaculture potential, high production, existing sectoral infrastructure(processing, marketing, and research), adequate water resources, and increased marketing potential.
The distribution of the fingerlings was presided over by a team from ABDP headquarters and Kisumu county Directorate of Fisheries.
