The Uasin Gishu county government is pushing for the establishment of Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in Eldoret to boost fish farming in the region.
Governor Jackson Mandago said demand for fish was rapidly rising making it a staple food, hence the need for residents to be encouraged to venture into fish farming.
With the institution in the county, the governor said farmers will have access to training, innovations and other help to upscale production.
He said it would also address the challenges faced by farmers in accessing fingerlings.
"Availability of fingerlings has been a challenge as we have to travel to Homa Bay to get them, partnering with the national government through the institute, will help this county get the fingerlings easily and affordably," Mandago said.
Marine and Fisheries Research Institute managing director Prof James Njiru while on a visit to the county said, with fish farming, residents were likely to earn more within a short time compared to earnings from traditional maize and wheat growing.
“As an institute, we are willing to partner with the county and have farmers trained on fish farming. We are sure Uasin Gishu can also be champions of fish farming just like they are in athletics, if the venture is properly natured," Njiru said.
Early this year, the national government gave Uasin Gishu 100,000 fingerlings with 10 dams being identified to be stocked with 10,000 fingerlings each.
Dispatching the first batch of 40,000 fingerlings to restock Kesses and Kerita dams, CAS Linah Jebii Kilimo announced that the balance of 60,000 fingerlings would be released for the other six identified dams in the county.
Agriculture executive Samuel Yego said the county government plans to restock at least 300 dams and 600 ponds to boost fish farming which will in turn empower residents.
Kilimo said the fish farming initiative seeks to restock major dams in Uasin Gishu to help in addressing malnutrition among children. A recent research showed 30 per cent of children in the county suffer from malnutrition.
Current fish consumption in Uasin Gishu stands at 82 tonnes compared to a production of only 62 tonnes.
Nationally, there is still a huge gap between the current fish demand of 600,000 metric tonnes, against the national fish production of 150,000 metric tonnes.
The national per capita fish consumption currently stands at 4.5kg per person annually, with deliberate efforts being undertaken to increase this to over 10kg per person annually by 2030.
Nationally, the government started the implementation of new agricultural interventions, seeking to boost fish production by 2030, by undertaking a Sh14.9 billion International Fund for Agricultural Development—funded Aquaculture Business Development Programme.
The programme is being implemented in 15 counties of Migori, Kakamega, Homa Bay, Nyeri, Meru, Kirinyaga, Tharaka Nithi, Kisii, Kisumu, Siaya, Busia, Embu, Kiambu, Machakos and Kajiado.
The aim is to address underlying challenges that impede fish productivity and increase overall national production.
There is still a huge consumption gap and the potential market for the Kenyan fish farmers, with the national government now putting in place intervention measures to address challenges in the fisheries and aquaculture sub-sector.
The aquaculture project aims at tackling among other issues, the provision of good quality fish farming inputs, provision of technical services, capacity building in fish processing and value addition.
It also seeks to strengthen linkages between producers and market and other actors across the value chain.
The project will also support the provision of extension services, support smallholder farmers, acquire inputs and capacity building for aquaculture value chain players.
It will also complete the link between producers and markets for fish and create structured markets and institutions in the aquaculture value chain.
These programmes and initiatives taken by the government are aimed at benefiting smallholder farmers, developing agriculture value chains and stimulating growth in rural areas through the provision of sustainable livelihoods. The programmes will also generate youth employment opportunities, and sustainably dealing with effects of climate change.
-Edited by SKanyara