The agricultural sector of Nigeria has been a major part of her economic development and the demand for some of its products has experienced an upward inclination. If the demand for a particular product increases, it is only natural for the market and the popularity of that product to also experience an increase. This has been the case of the fish farming market in Nigeria in recent years.
Fish farming, which is one of Nigeria’s most popular agribusinesses, is when fishes are reared, and a lot of the farmers involved in fish farming in Nigeria do it for commercial purposes. Some of the reasons for the popularity of fish farming include its demand, they can sell fast due to their demand, they can mature quickly under the right conditions, etc. There are various species of fish but not all of them can be farmed in Nigeria and the reasons might include their market demand or their nature. The most popular types of fish that are farmed in Nigeria are Catfish, Tilapia, and salmon, and of the three fish breeds that were mentioned, the first two are the most profitable to farm in Nigeria.
Catfish is the most popular of all the three breeds and a lot of Nigerian fish farmers are involved in catfish farming because it is easy to cultivate and catfish is also very much consumed and used for preparing various Nigerian dishes at home, restaurants, parties, etc., hence the high demand for it in the market. The Tilapia fish is also of interest because of its rapid growth and reproduction. They can also survive being densely stocked and poor-quality water. Just like catfish, they are easily cultivated but despite all these similar features, catfish is consumed more than tilapia in Nigeria. These species of fish thrive in Nigeria because they are compatible with our climate, their growth, and their market demand.
Before you venture into the fish farming business, it is expected that you should carry out proper market research and a feasibility study to know how beneficial a business it would be to you. For your feasibility study to be effective, you need to know the type of fish you would be farming so that you can have a precise range of figures to work with.
To start a fish farm business, there are some steps or factors that must be looked into
- First of all, you would need to acquire a piece of land where you would set up your business. The land space you get is dependent on your choice of farming if you are intending to do a large-scale or small-scale fish farm business. Some factors to consider when choosing a piece of land include security, closeness to a commercial area, and you should also check very well if there are fish preys close to the land.
- Another very important thing to consider is the source of water supply. It is common knowledge that water is like life to fishes so when getting your land space, ensure that there is an adequate water supply. Water that contains chemicals could be dangerous for fishes so ensure that the water being supplied to your fish farm is freshwater as fishes thrive in it. For an added and encouraged advantage, you should perform laboratory analysis on your soil and water. Doing this will help you know the microbial content, nutrient content, and PH of the water and soil.
- Then you have to build your fish ponds. There are different types of fish ponds and also the fishes need to be separated during the various stages of their growth. For the pond building process, it is important and advisable to employ the services of an expert to help with figuring out the type of pond you would need and then building them.
- You would need to fill your pond with the species of fish you want to farm. So acquiring the fingerlings of the species of fish is another thing you would have to do, and also ensure that you get healthy and well-bred fingerlings.
- Fish feed is very essential to the proper growth, maturity, and eventual marketability of the fish. Therefore, you should choose the appropriate type of feed for your fish.
- There should also be a constant power supply provided to your fish farm.
- If you intend on starting a large-scale commercial fish farm, then you can’t do it alone. You should employ staff for positions such as an accountant, sales executive, etc. This will help in the proper management of your fish farm. You can also employ security personnel to discourage thieves from visiting your farm.
- You should also know about how the fish farm is run so that you can be able to check on your business properly. You can attend training and get the knowledge you would need to be on top of your business.
Fish farming in Nigeria is quite beneficial and some of its benefits include:
- The fish market in Nigeria is on a constant rise due to the increase in demand hence the fish can be quickly sold.
- Fish do grow fast and the rate of their growth can be influenced by the introduction of some supplementary feeds
- Fish farming is a lucrative source of income and even fishermen can also benefit from just catching and selling fish. It also creates employment opportunities.
- The government of Nigeria has also realized the importance of fish farming and they have thrown in their support for it with some favorable policies and campaigns.
With all the promising features of fish farming in Nigeria, it would not be difficult to develop an interest in this business venture. If you have carried out proper market research and your business interest is finally settled on fish farming, we at Indigo Africa can help you fulfill your dreams. With our standard agricultural machinery, we can help you with the design and operation of agribusiness.