Migori: Migori County Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, Lucas Mosenda, has urged the residents of Migori to diversify their economic ventures by embracing fish farming. Mosenda stated that the fishing venture is becoming a lucrative business and called upon farmers to embrace it to reap the benefits.
According to Kenya News Agency, Mosenda encouraged maize, beans, and horticultural farmers to also engage in fish farming to diversify their economic activities for more profit generation. He mentioned that the county now has investors who have ventured into hatcheries of fingerlings and feed production. Initially, the biggest challenge in fish farming had been the acquisition of the fingerlings and expensive fish feeds, Mosenda noted.
The county official further disclosed that the county has been employing extension field officers to assist fish farmers with the necessary skills to manage their fish farming ventures. The Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP), funded by IFAD, has partnered with Migori County to boost the fishing enterprise in the South Nyanza Region.
Migori has also established ‘Smart Kiosks’ (cold rooms) at Isebania, Sori, Uriri, and Rongo markets to reduce post-harvest losses. Mosenda explained that the icing plant at Sori Beach has helped address the challenges of post-harvest loss for the fishing community that depends on Lake Victoria.
According to Mosenda, the county has 115 registered groups that have ventured into fish production.