The government has been urged to help reduce the cost of fish farming inputs in order to encourage increased production.
Unga Group managing director Nick Hutchinson said the high cost of fish feeds in the country is hindering increased fish production.
Hutchinson spoke at the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute in Sagana in Kirinyaga county on Friday during the launch of catfish feeds.
He said the country does not produce enough fish and imports a significant amount of Tilapia.
The Unga Group MD said that the country has some of the most expensive raw materials for fish feeds globally.
This increases the price of fish feeds and discourages both production and consumption.
The feeds are made from maize, vegetable proteins, soya beans and animal proteins.
“We need to work with farmers to help them increase their productivity by increasing their yields and helping reduce their cost of production,” he said.
Hutchinson also challenged the government to ensure any taxes imposed on non-tariff barriers that make it difficult to trade are minimised.
To mitigate the high cost of raw materials, Hutchinson said his firm will enhance the volumes of fish feeds produced in its plants.
Farmers who had attended the launch had complained that fish feeds are too expensive for small scale farmers to afford.
The MD said that in June, his company also commissioned a Sh350 million soya beans meal plant that will meet about 60 per cent of its needs and reduce import quantity.
He, however, cautioned farmers not to engage in fish farming before they understand the market and the returns they will get from it.
“Having mastered the market, then they can invest in quality fingerlings and use the right feeds and husbandry techniques to ensure the fish reaches its maturity as quickly s possible,” he said.
Catfish, he said, is eaten filleted and farmers need to understand the options they have to come up with the end products that will fetch them better prices.
Kemfri Sagana centre director Domitila Kyule said researchers are working towards a superior catfish breed.
This was in reaction to complaints by local farmers that the current breed matures slowly and engages in cannibalism.
“We have been researching on the two issues and have sourced fish from Indonesia, the Netherlands and across Africa, and we are cross-breeding them to come up with a better breed,” she said.
A tilapia and catfish can reach a maximum of 1 kg in eight months if good aquaculture practices are employed, she said.
The centre has a value-addition department that has been looking into ways that fish can be value-added to broaden the market.
Fish samosas, fish fillet, burgers or any other product made using beef or pork can be made using fish, she noted.
She encouraged Kenyans to eat more fish as the local per capita is 4.6 kgs per person annually while the globally recommended per capita is 20 kgs.
