Amid intensifying efforts to boost food and nutrition security, the fish farming sector has experienced remarkable growth, with production skyrocketing from 20 000 tonnes to over 33 000 tonnes in the past 18 months.
This comes as the Government adopted a raft of measures tailored to boost aquaculture development nationwide.
Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister Davis Marapira recently said that the country's fish production was expected to expand over the next five years.
"We have a high probability of doing better in fish farming considering that the country has more than 10 000 water bodies, so people should take advantage of these and use them wisely," he said.
The Presidential Fisheries Scheme is a key driver of this growth, focused on improving household-level access to affordable protein while creating new income generating opportunities, especially for youth. Through this programme, the Government is establishing fish production components at youth hubs, village nutrition gardens and irrigation schemes to promote a more business oriented approach to agriculture.
Against this backdrop of Government led initiatives, private sector companies are stepping up to provide the training and resources needed for more Zimbabweans to enter the aquaculture industry. One such opportunity is the upcoming fish farming training event to be hosted by Agrimarine Solutions on August 31st in Harare.
Agrimarine director, Mr Ian Kazingizi said the motivation behind offering this complimentary fish farming training stemmed from the observation that many farmers in the industry continued to repeat common mistakes, highlighting a critical need for targeted guidance and support to rectify the issues.
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"A lot of people are not fully conversant with the science behind fish farming. We have noted that it is important to train start-up fish farmers and encourage a high success rate in their work," he said.
The one-day training programme will cover a comprehensive curriculum, including introduction to fish farming, stocking and breeding, feeding, pond construction, and harvesting techniques. The training is designed to equip both start-up and experienced farmers with the knowledge and skills to establish successful, sustainable fish projects.
"This training is a chance for anyone interested in fish farming, whether as a commercial enterprise or for household consumption, especially the youth and women in particular, as we want to ensure that they gain hands-on expertise within the industry," said Mr Kazingizi.
