The government is seeking to increase fish consumption to 10kg per person annually from a low of 4.6kg, Aquaculture Business Development Programme coordinator Sammy Macharia has said.
“Fish consumption in Kenya is very low compared to other countries. This programme aims at promoting fish consumption from the current 4.6 kilos to 10 kilos of fish per person each year within the next three years,” he said.
Macharia spoke on Wednesday at Kamuthanga Fish Farm in Kathiani, Machakos county, during an exchange programme that brought together more than 300 fish farmers from 16 counties.
The farmers, who are on a two-day benchmarking tour, are from Western and Central counties. The counties include Nyeri, Meru, Embu, Tharaka Nithi, Machakos, Kajiado, Kakamega, Busia, Kisumu, Migori, Homa Bay, Kisii and Vihiga.
Macharia said the government also wants to increase production through the promotion of fish farming to meet the rising demand.
He said fish demand in the country is about 600,000 tonnes per year while the country only produces 150,000 tonnes. The deficit is about 450,000 tonnes per year.
“We have to produce fish through fish farming. The main aim of the programme is to promote commercial fish farming through aquaculture," Macharia said.
"For a very long time, we have engaged in fish farming at the subsistence level. Most farmers produce less than 100kg per year, which is barely enough for their households, and they don’t make any money out of it.”
Macharia said the exchange programme is meant to empower farmers with knowledge and technological know-how to increase quality fish production in their respective farms.
“This means they will move from production of less than 100kg per year to at least one tonne per year per farmer," he said.
Macharia said farmer's income will increase as the lowest price of fish on the market is Sh300 per kilo.
"A farmer will be making Sh300,000 per year with a production cost of Sh100,000 annually, thereby making a profit of Sh200,000 each year.”
Aquaculture Business Development Programme provides farmers with 70 per cent of farm input.
“We support the small-holder farmers in terms of input. We also provide them with linkages and market,” Macharia said.
