Farmers get monosex tilapia to boost production
Feeding of monosex tilapia fish in Nyakach. Fish farmers have been supplied with 134,000 monosex tilapia fingerlings Nyeri County to boost their fish production and ensure the region's fish industry thrives. PHOTO | JACOB OWITI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Farmers are expected to take their fish produce to the county-owned Wamagana fish processing plant where they will be bought at Sh300 per kilogramme.
- Distribution of 134,000 monosex tilapia fingerlings to farmers in Nyeri County.
- Fish farmers from the county have been experiencing low production levels especially where tilapia species are stocked due to the high rate of breeding resulting to inbreeding and therefore stunted growth.
A plan to boost fish production in a Sh61 million processing plant has kicked off with the distribution of 134,000 monosex tilapia fingerlings to farmers in Nyeri County.
The project, to cost the county Sh2 million, is aimed at enabling the plant to operate for 24 hours a day and helping farmers restock their fishponds.
After six months, the farmers are expected to take their produce to the county-owned Wamagana fish processing plant where they will be bought at Sh300 per kilogramme.
After processing the fish, the county government sells a kilo at Sh400 to the locals through a refrigerated truck.
According to agriculture executive Robert Thuo, fish farmers from the county had been experiencing low production levels especially where tilapia species are stocked due to the high rate of breeding resulting to inbreeding and therefore stunted growth.
“To overcome this challenge and boost fish production, we have procured a total of 134,000 monosex tilapia fingerlings. We expect that the monosex fingerlings will attain the required market size faster if properly fed,” said Mr Thuo.
