The aquaculture sector has received a major boost after the Lake Basin Development Authority installed a 45-million tonnes fingerlings production plant.
LBDA managing director Wycliffe Ochiaga said the modern facility, which has been under installation for the past three months, will revolutionalise the fisheries sector in the country.
The facility, which is nearing completion, features a state-of-theart recirculating aquaculture system and a modern greenhouse, aimed at addressing the region’s shortfall in fish production.
According to Ochiaga, the decision to invest in this technology is in response to a significant gap in the local fish supply.
“The demand for fish in the region is about 600,000 tonnes annually, but currently, we are only able to produce around 450,000 tonnes. This leaves a shortfall of 150,000 tonnes,” Ochiaga said during the inspection.
The new facility, once fully operational, is expected to produce up to four million fingerlings per month, which will help fill the production gap.
Ochiaga said the initiative is a key part of LBDA’s efforts to support local fish farmers and improve food security in the region.
“We’re not only increasing production capacity but also providing farmers with better access to markets through a digital platform that we’ve developed,” the MD said.
The platform aims to streamline the sale of locally farmed fish and help farmers reach consumers more efficiently.
Looking to the future, Ochiaga said the LBDA is also exploring plans to add value to the fish farming process.
“We have already signed an agreement with a key industry player at Kisumu Airport, who will help with adding value to the fish and reduce post-harvest losses,” he said.
The authority is also considering installing a processing plant and cooling system at the centre to further reduce waste.
The target for annual fingerling production at the facility is 45 million, which translates to about 3.5 to 4 million tonnes per month.
However, Ochiaga acknowledged that there would be some losses due to mortality rates, which is common in fish farming.
In addition to fingerling production, one of the main challenges for local fish farmers has been the quality of fish feed. In response, LBDA has partnered with Aquarech, a company focused on providing high-quality fish feed.
Ochiaga said this partnership would help ensure farmers can raise healthy, sustainable fish. The LBDA is also addressing the issue of knowledge transfer for farmers.
“We’ve established a training centre
to equip farmers with the necessary
skills to improve their practices,”
Ochiaga said stressing the importance
of education in overcoming current
challenges.
