Homa Bay fish farmers set to benefit as firm puts up fingerlings hatchery

Victory Farms is set to establish a hatchery and a fish feed processing plant at the special economic zone in Riwa in the Karachuonyo constituency.

Starting the processing plant will provide cheaper farm inputs to fish farmers not only in Homa Bay County but also around the lake region.

President William Ruto issued the company with a license to operate at the special economic zone when he visited the county during the second International Investment Conference last month.

Management at the company said it wants to offer solutions to the problems faced by fish farmers who sometimes complain about the high cost of feeds and fingerlings.

Victory Farms Chief Development Officer Caesar Asiyo said the company has started a programme where they provide fingerlings to county governments to distribute to fish farmers.

Asiyo said they have been supporting fish farmers by distributing the fingerlings in its programmes of supporting food and nutrition security.

Victory Farms also stocks dams with fingerlings.

“The company distributed at least one million fingerlings last year. We fully stocked 22 dams in Homa Bay hoping they will grow and the local communities can benefit,” Asiyo said.

Speaking during a Suba community ceremony at Roo Beach in Suba South constituency, Asiyo said the company will put up a hatchery at the special economic zone.

The company will also centralise some of its logistics in the special economic zone.

Asiyo said the company will process its fish meals (feeds) and use them in the cages in the lake.

Some of the feed will be sold to farmers at lower costs than what they currently spend.

“The company will start to operationalise the licenses it got from the government in the coming months. The license is a boost to expand the company’s activities,” he added.

The company chief executive officer Joseph Rehmann who was installed as a member of the Suba community, said they started the company nine years ago.

Previously, the company faced resistance from residents because they believed he was out to displace them from their land and fishing which is one of their economic activities.

But the company has grown and employed more than 1,000 people directly.

Most of them are members of the Suba community.

“Let’s have more cooperation from residents for economic development,” Rehmann said.

Suba South Elders Forum Coordinator Joab Ikawa said the company has transformed Suba.

He said poverty levels in the area were high before Victory Farms was established.

“Elders from Suba have permitted the company to expand further for residents to get more benefits,” Ikawa said.