Government has expressed happiness with the fish farming business in Mpulungu District.
Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Permanent Secretary Kayula Siame says it is impressive to find that people in the area have taken fish farming as a serious business.
Ms. Kayula noted that fish stocks in lake Tanganyika has depleted hence the need for more people to engage in the farming of fish.
She said Government is ready to support farmers who are diversifying from only growing of maize to other farming activities.
The Permanent Secretary said this when she inspected ponds of fish farmers who benefited from the Citizen Economic Empowerment Commission in Mpulungu over the weekend.
And Ms. Siame has since urged the beneficiaries of the loans to ensure that they pay back so that other people can also benefit.
And the Fisheries authority explained that the business in the area is going well as the farmers are paying attention to the guidelines they are given.
Taylor Banda noted that the department has been visiting all the 28 fish farmers to help them grow their fish so that they can get good yields.
Mr. Banda however reviewed that it has been a challenge for the farmers to get feed for fish as it is only produced in Lusaka.
He said the department has been helping farmers to make purchase of the feed but it takes time for it to move from Lusaka to Mpulungu.
Flessi fisssiiii….
Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and he will deplete the lakes and rivers. Teach him aquaculture and he will have fish everyday.
This is a good initiative. No one should be starving or malnourished. God has blessed us with abundant resources all we need is knowledge to monetize the resources we have.
Such initiatives should be supported by government, not spending colossal sums on fire trucks that are depreciating everyday.
Why does govt want farmers not to grow maize. What is the hidden agenda, surely diversification can mean fish farming AND maize growing.something is not right about this getting away from growing maize and eating nshima.
Even our chinese friends still grow and eat their staple rice and grow fish fed with sewage and antibiotics
All the signs are there that Zambia is doing well. Someone will never be president in Zambia for sure! Namwalans are waiting for him to be coronated there as Paramount Chief.