Technology aiding youth boost fish farming in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. Fish farming with the aid of advanced technology is one of the ways that can boost fish production to support the government initiative to bolster food security in Tanzania.

 Jamvi, a startup which has invested in fish farming hopes to turn the fortunes in the industry through technology.

 Through recycling aqua system they are seeking Sh45 million to accommodate the installation of infrastructure to kick start operations.

Jamvi founder Mr Shadrack Kamfnya says they have already finalised talks with a Dutch company for the supply of the machines and its installation. 

 “Soon after the equipment is installed by end of December before we start production. We have also identified some shops, selling outlets where we will be supplying fish once production starts,” he said.

 Mr Kamfnya says that they intend to harvest up to 20 tonnes of tilapia and catfish annually.

  “Our strategic plan is to harvest up to 4 tonnes of fish every four months.”

 According to him, they target hotels and ordinary people will purchase the products which are sold at their outlets.

 During the production they will focus on working with more women because currently the number of women in fish business is on the rise.

 He says that there are women have undergone training on record management, accounting and customer.

  care adding that this would increase job creation for women though jobs will depend on the work but they are optimistic direct and indirect jobs will be available.

 Speaking to the Citizen, Big Fish Company manager Mr Pastory Barnabas said that due to demand they are working on a technology that will enable them grow male tilapia to sell to out growers.

 He says they installed technology to produce male tilapia fish early last year to enable increase production capacity of fish in the country.

 The YY male tilapia technology adopted from Holland is based on the genetic manipulation of sex. This is achieved through a mixed sex of feminization and progeny testing to identify the novel YY genotype.

 After mixing them, he said last April to produce male fish fingers and sold thousands of them to aquafarmers in Arusha, Dodoma, Mtwara and Dar es Salaam.

The Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries puts Tanzania's fish production in the range of 325,000 to 380,000 tonnes per annum while the demand stands at over 700,000.

 According to reports, YY male technology is safer for fish and results in greater fingerling survival rates as it avoids the risks associated with hormones usage.

 Tanzania is rich in fisheries resources from marine, freshwater, rivers and wetland species but the sector faces a shortage of fish supply.

About 85 per cent is from inland fisheries, 14 per cent from marine fisheries and just one per cent from aquaculture.

Earlier, Ministry of agriculture, director of policy and planning Mr Obey Assery said the platform initiative will enable a number of youths to venture in the fish sector and feel the gap.

“The government alone cannot afford to implement every project therefore, through the agriculture policy, we very much support such an initiative.

To help Tanzania achieve the second Sustainable Development Goal—to end hunger, promote sustainable agriculture, and achieve food security and improved nutrition—Usaid is working closely with the country to address these challenges.

Tanzania’s agriculture sector, which contributes nearly one-third of the country’s GDP and employs 75 per cent of the population, has the potential to increase incomes and improve livelihoods.

Feed the Future  the United States Government’s global hunger and food security initiative – supports plans, led by Tanzania, to reduce poverty and improve nutrition.

 Tanzania is focusing on agriculture as a means to achieve economic growth. It plans to incorporate private sector engagement including the Southern Agricultural Growth Corridor of Tanzania initiative, a public-private partnership to increase agricultural business investments in the country’s southern corridor.

 Feed the Future makes targeted investments emphasizing private sector development to ensure long-term sustainability of poverty reduction and nutrition goals.

 These investments help smallholder farmers be more competitive in producing and marketing staple foods like rice and maize, increase production of horticulture products (vegetables and fruits), and construct rural feeder roads to improve farmers’ access to markets.

To improve nutrition, Feed the Future promotes the consumption of high-quality nutritious foods and improved food processing techniques such as fortifying flour with micronutrients like iron, vitamin A, zinc, and folic acid.