Farmers in Lugari and Matete Sub counties have been urged to embrace fish farming to boost income generated from their farms.
Speaking in Lumakanda when he handed over 60,000 fingerlings to 60 farmers drawn from all the six wards, the area Sub county fisheries officer Mr. Caleb Sifuna said that income from fish farming is never disappointing compared to other sources of farm income.
Sifuna said fish farming has received needed attention from the County Government of Kakamega and various National Government support projects including Aqua Culture Business Project Program which is currently up scaling fish farming through provision of fish pond liners.
He revealed that Aqua Culture Business Project Program has made fish farming possible to small scale farmers without stable source of water for instance rain harvested or piped water can be used to produce fish in small manageable scale.
According to him, Dietary Diversion is a project promoted through Aqua Culture Business Development Program that promotes healthy feeding which encourages fish farmers to have kitchen garden.
“We started with few farmers that if they have fish ponds, should also have kitchen garden to promote healthy feeding among the fish farmers which has been launched in number of schools and section of farmers,” said Sifuna.
The fingerlings project is funded by the County Government of Kakamega through Department of fisheries as an effort to promote fish farming in the Sub-County.
Sifuna maintained that the County Government of Kakamega bought fingerlings to feed newly constructed fish ponds and renovated ponds constructed during Economic Stimulus Program at the cost of shs 2.1 million in the Sub-County.
He revealed that Department of Fisheries had carried sufficient fish farmers training to enable them take care of the fish through daily maintenance.
“We have trained them how to feed fish and also have planned regular visits to ensure farmers are sticking the right standards of maintaining fish in ponds,” Sifuna revealed, adding that well maintained fish pond can produce over 250 kg of fish during harvesting time.
He urged fish farmers to sale harvested fish locally or sale to the fish processing factory in the County.
Sifuna said Fish Feeds Substitute Program is County program which gives fish farmers feeds at affordable prices when are stocked in their stores.
On his side, Nelson Majimbo, a fish farmer from Mautuma Ward Lugari, thanked the County Government for promoting fish farming in the Sub-County.