HOW TO START FISH FARMING IN NIGERIA

How to Start Fish Farming in Nigeria


There are so many information on the internet
on "How to Start Fish Farming in Nigeria" but
few are detailed enough to really assist
aspiring fish farmer to get started. I will be
endeavor to make this article as detailed as
possible and hope that other experienced fish
farmer will add to it as we try to answer
people's questions through commenting.
One of the most popular farming in Nigeria is
fish farming and for good reasons. Gone are
the days when the only means of getting fish
is by catching it in the local rivers and ponds
through trial and errors. Today, the modern
farm practice has made it possible to grow
fish in the farms and control the input.
If you are thinking of business to start now, I
recommend you start CatFish Farming in
Nigeria. If you are an existing farmer and you
are looking for expanding your farm capacity,
I'd encourage you add fish farming to your
farm. Fish farming (especially catfish) is most
compatible with poultry farming as you can
use the poultry drops to make the feeds for
your fish.


BENEFITS OF FISH  FARMING

1. Fishery products is by far the most
popular animal products in the market,
constituting more than 60% of meat
products in the Nigerian market.
2. Fish is one of the highest source of
protein. Fish is a low-fat high quality protein
that is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and
vitamins such as D and B2 (riboflavin). Fish
is also very rich in calcium and phosphorus
and is equally a great source of minerals,
such as iron, zinc, iodine, magnesium, and
potassium.
3. Fish sells faster than any other animal
products in the market and is relatively
cheaper than meats, making it the number
one choice when it comes to affordability.
4. Fish grows very fast as practices in fish
farming makes it possible for farmers to
increase the fastness of their fish growth by
giving them certain feeds, ensuring that you
harvest and sell within short period of time.
5. Fish is the biggest source of Omega-3
fatty acids which is extremely beneficial to
human heart; Omega-3 helps to keep our
heart and brain very healthy. Since bodies
don't produce Omega-3 fatty acids, the only
source through which we can get it is by
what we eat, that is where fish comes to the
rescue.
6. Fish farming is very profitable. With proper
planning and good management, N3 million
investment in fish farming could easily result
to N4 million of pure profit within six months.
7. Fish farm does not cause any
environmental hazard. Unlike poultry farming,
you can setup fish farm anywhere, including
residential areas. If you have a specious
compound, you can easily setup a small fish
farm within your backyard without any
regulatory precaution.


RISK AND CHALLENGES

1. Fish is very sensitive to manage and a
slight mistake could result to degenerated
growth of your fish or even death which may
cause massive revenue loss.
2. Setting up fish farm is capital intensive,
much more than that of poultry and snail
farm. Setting up fish farm requires more
careful planning and much capital input. A
relatively small fish farm may take up to
N500,000 to setup, while bigger ones takes
millions of naira.
3. Due to the cost of production, fish
produced from the farm is priced higher than
those caught from the rivers and ponds by
fishermen. Therefore, if there are good
quantity of fisherman's fish in the market, you
may find it difficult to sell as people would
prefer the cheaper ones.
4. There is no byproduct in fishery unlike
poultry where even the drop can be
harvested and sold to other farmers and
make extra profit. In fishery, all you get is the
flesh .

To be continue. ......