Nutrition Security: Fish farmers seek processing facility transfer, target 2,000 MT, N50bn annual returns

*Fish farmers under the auspices of the Aquaculture Cluster, Eriwe Fish Farm Village, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State of Nigeria, appeal to the Federal Government to hand over the management of the newly built fish processing centre in the community, targeting over 2,000 metric tonnes and N50 billion annual returns

Isola Moses | ConsumerConnect

In a decisive move to to boost production and increase revenue generation to 2,000 metric tonnes and N50 billion annual returns, farmers at the Eriwe Catfish Farm Village, in Ijebu Ode, Ogun State of Nigeria, have appealed to the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to hand over the newly built fish processing centre in the community to them to manage.

ConsumerConnect learnt Mr. Ibukunola Olarewaju, Cluster President, Aquaculture Cluster, Eriwe Fish Farm Village, made the appeal on the sidelines of a training organised for farmers under the FISH4ACP cluster upgrading programme.

The training programme aimed at increasing productivity and profitability of fish farming in the area.

Insight into FISH4ACP initiative for fish farmers

FISH4ACP is an initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS).

It was designed to make fisheries and aquaculture value chains in Africa, the Caribbean, and Pacific regions more sustainable.

It is noted the programme is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), with funding support from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Olarewaju, Cluster President of Aquaculture Cluster, Eriwe Fish Farm Village, while speaking on behalf of the farmers, applauded the current administration for the implementing and funding agencies for the initiative, The Nation report also said.

He also commended the Federal Government for the capacity-building training in record keeping, planning, pond preparation, and management, among others.

On request to transfer fish processing facility to farmers

The Cluster President of Aquaculture Cluster further described the knowledge gained by the farmers as invaluable.

The Cluster President revealed the Eriwe Fish Farm Village currently, has 48 clusters of fish farmers, producing fish worth over N50 billion annually for both local and international markets.

According to him, transferring the fish processing centre to the farmers would significantly scale production capacity, reduce waste, and improve income for operators in the aquaculture value chain in the economy.

Olarewaju as well observed though the processing facility had been completed, it is not yet commissioned for use of the farmers in the cluster of the Eriwe Fish Farm Village.

The fish processing facility constructed by the Federal Government to support aquaculture development in the community, would help farmers add value to their products through smoking, drying, freezing, and packaging, stated Olarewaju.

He said: “Processing adds value to fresh catfish by converting it into smoked, dried, frozen, or packaged products.

“Value-added fish products attract higher market prices and increase profits for producers and processor.”

Besides, he lamented that poor storage and transportation have continued to expose fish farmers to major post-harvest losses.

He equally emphasised that the cluster’s fish processing facility would address the challenge by preserving fish products for longer periods.

The facility, Olarewaju stated, would create more employment opportunities and improve livelihoods within the community.

The Cluster President, therefore, advocated the elimination of middlemen in the marketing and distribution of fish harvests.

He contended that fish farmers’ direct market access would improve profitability and strengthen the fisheries sector of the Nigerian economy.

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