By Our Reporter
Government has been urged to put up proper measures so to promote fish pond farming as it has a potential to boost the country’s social economic growth.
In an interview Chambo fisheries farm manager Al Ameen Kamayun Kabeer said that the demand for the fish is huge both locally and international.
Kabeer said that they started growing fish at their tanks in Chigumula in Blantyre 6 years ago.
There have been many challenges as the technology used is very complex.
Interestingly enough chambo fisheries is second largest and most technologically advanced tilapia farm in Africa and it under 200 workers and the majority are local Malawians.
Kabeer said that people like to eat fish that are produced by them from a pond because of its fresh taste.
Currently Chambo fisheries pond is producing about 100 tonnes per annum but has the capacity to produce 800 metric tons annually.
He further said that the company is raising two breads Shiranas chambo and Mozambicus chambo.
Other than that the materials and machinery used in constructing the fish pond are very expensive and there has been little support in terms of grants from government to boost the fisheries sector.
In addition Kabeer said that the electricity persistent blackout makes them to increase cost of production.
He cited the running of the gen set which increases their production costs..
Asafu Chijere a fish expert and a licensed consultant In an interview urges the Malawi government under the leadership of Dr Lazarus Chakwera to seriously consider aquaculture as a viable farming business.
According to Chijere the country has been depending much on tobacco as a forex earner.
He further said that with the anti smoking tobacco campaign which is being championed by the world heathy organization WHO Malawi needs to diversify into other sectors.
He added that as it stands Malawi is losing out in revenue collection because of its failure to invest in fish pond farming.
He has argued that the country has an ever growing population saying fish from rivers and lakes is greatly declining due to overfishing and increased effort on fishing.
In this regard he has urged authorities to fully promote fish pond farming so as to revive fish production mechanisms.
asafu Chijere therefore said that the importance of fish cannot ever emphasize as it is a source of income and nutritious food to the people.
However he has beamon the influx of poor quality fish from Zambia, Mozambique and other countries saying this leads to unnecessary imports and malawi is losing much needed forex in the process .
