HOW TO START A SUCCESSFUL CATFISH FARMING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA.

Agriculture is the new oil! Does that line sound familiar? You will agree with me that regardless of how bad the economy is, people must consume farm produce (Fish, Chicken, Goat, Snail etc).

With the recent crash in the price of crude, the Nigerian Government has stressed the need to diversify the Nation’s source of income. One of the diversification measures that the Government has been clamoring for is to invest in Agriculture. Thousands of Africans venture into agriculture yearly.

This movement not only grows the industry, but contributes some efforts to reduce unemployment and promote economic growth. While many farmers focus on various other profitable agricultural businesses, several others focus on aquaculture.

Over the past years, Nigerians have increasingly consumed the special delicacy (cat fish pepper soup or grilled) prepared with this breed of fish. Hotels, Beer Parlors, Pepper Soup Joints are ordering this specie of fish in large quantities and making lots of money from it.

When the word “ point and kill” flashes by your ears, don’t squeeze your face wondering what it means. At joints, you could walk up to the fish bowl and point to a live (fresh) catfish you want killed and either used for Pepper-soup or just grilled and peppered. Studies have shown that in Nigeria more than 65% of the population consumes fish at least once a week, and at least in every home one specie of fish is part of the meal an average of twice a week.

Catfish farming business in Nigeria is a very profitable business to venture into. I have spoken with some successful catfish farmers in Nigeria, and from their testimonies, I can boldly say that this is a very lucrative business.

The common aim of every business person is taking their business to a higher level than surrounding competition, and that’s what this summarized guide aims to help you with. Let’s quickly disclose to you, what you need to know to start a Catfish business in Nigeria.

Five important questions to ask before embarking on the Catfish farming business in Nigeria.

1. How much capital can I afford to start the business?

Capital would determine your starting scale – Small Scale or Large Scale.

2. How many Catfish farmers are in my vicinity?

Knowing this would inevitably help you attach yourself for practical training, if you want, and would also help you determine the competition in your farm area.

3. What is the demand for Catfish in my area?

Demand is not equal everywhere.

4. Can I have the time to oversee the farm or do I need to employ a fish farmer?

You need to know for proper budgeting.

5. What is Catfish farming’s ROI Return on Investment.

PLASTIC FISH POND.

As the name implies, this type of fish pond involves breeding of fish in a tank made of plastic or rubber. You can easily buy if from the manufacturers who produce them in different sizes. Before making a choice however, a lot of consideration needs to be taken as it cannot be undone once the pond has been constructed.

For small scale farmers, it is advisable to go for the plastic ponds as they are quite cheap to construct and they can still house a reasonable amount of fish. In constructing the pond, you must also consider the circulation of water and the waste disposal.

Advantages of Plastic Fish Pond.

[1] There is no burden of a manual labour construction.

[2] This pond is very easy to maintain.

[3] It can be used indoors.

[4] It is easy to move the pond around.

Disadvantages of Plastic Fish Pond

[1] Overcrowding of fishes.

[2] Water management: Periodic change of water) is difficult.

REQUIREMENTS TO START A SUCCESSFUL CATFISH FARMING BUSINESS IN NIGERIA. [USING A PLASTIC POND].

1. A DEEP AND WIDE PLASTIC POND.

A pond with the right depth and width to ensure adequate comfort and growth for your fishes; often, the deeper a pond, the better. The width of your pond can vary depending on how many fishes you want to put in a particular pond. However, the depth of your pond should not be compromised. I strongly advise that if you are a novice, you do not try to construct the pond yourself, please seek professional advice to avoid waste of resources and endangering the lives of your fish. One mistake in cat fish farming can be very costly and catastrophic.

2. WATER.

The main raw material required in cat fish farming is water, this is a no-brainer since we all know that fish cannot survive outside water. Good quality water is a fish farmer’s best friends. Ensuring optimal quality of water for your fishes will not only guarantee that they eat and grow well, but it will also reduce the chances of them being infected or having diseases. Catfishes often get infections through dirty and polluted water, and if their water isn’t constantly being refreshed with high quality, natural, clean water you shouldn’t be surprised if you get to your farm one day to find hundreds of fishes dead and floating in your pond. Your water also needs to be highly oxygenated, so running pipes directly from a borehole to your fish ponds won’t be best since the water won’t contain enough oxygen, since it is coming directly from under the ground, as natural water flowing from a stream/river or rain water.

3. SOURCE OF WATER SUPPLY.

The source of water supply to the fish ponds is important to proper development and maturity of your fish farm for commercial use. Studies have shown that in this part of the world, the best source of water for cat fish farming is borehole. Now do not get me wrong, wells and other natural sources could also be used. It’s important to have a proper borehole system built in the vicinity to ensure a reliable source of water supply. This gets even more crucial with the fact that the water would have to be changed on a regular interval, and a lack there in, of proper adequate water supply to ensure the survival of these fishes, would lead to a considerable loss in investments.

You must know that rain water and chemically treated water are totally out of the fish farming process. They’re unsafe for the fishes, and cannot be recommended for standard use. Get a steady flow of fresh water, so your pond can thrive.

4. OVERHEAD TANK.

The overhead tank is the water reservoir for the fishes. There should be a backup system especially in the mechanism for pumping water to avoid any failures, as it may be fatal to the operation of the farm. The system must not fail.

5. PROTECTIVE NETS.

Birds, monitor lizards and other predators really enjoy eating baby catfishes, and if you’re not careful you’ll be lucky to meet one third of what you really stocked at the end of the day. I’ve come to farm several times to see my net catch big snakes, big monitor lizards, birds, bats and other predators to my catfishes. Be sure to net your pond until your fishes are at least 2 months old from juvenile stage; you can decide to later remove the net, or you can keep it till you harvest if it doesn’t hinder your activities.

6. ADEQUATE FISH FEED.

The largest operating cost is feed. feeding the fish is very important. Besides getting your fishes from the right source and ensuring they have good quality water, it is essential to make sure they have adequate feed.

“Without this, they cannot gain weight. And when they are hungry, they can become wild. So, you must have money for their food handy at all times. Fish feed is a very vital component in operating a fish farm. You must feed the fish to attain required weight gain,”.

There is a variety of fish feeds in the market, though they are on the high side (pricewise), it is wise counsel to seek for ways to augment the feed if you are on a tight budget. There are other conventional feeds that can be administered such as soya bean cake, groundnut cake, plant residue, blood meal, etc.

The major guideline is to ensure that you consult a professional or someone who has been into the business before you so you know what steps to take, how to get the right mix, when to feed, how to administer feed, etc.

7. STOCK YOUR POND WITH FINGERLINGS.

There are various recommended farms where you can get your fingerlings from. Catfish fingerlings are of different breeds, just like other species of animals. It is important that the catfish farmer takes his time to identify fast growing and disease resistant breeds of fingerlings to ensure profitability in a catfish venture. This can be done through appropriate consultation with a specialist in fingerlings and physically evaluating fingerlings from several farms before making a pick on stock of fingerlings.

8. PROPER DRAINAGE.

The water in the ponds need to be changed frequently since it is not flowing water. You do not want to be a nuisance by draining the waste from your farm on to public places, therefore while considering your location, you should factor how to dispose your farm waste into the plan.

9. MANPOWER.

If you are running a small scale farm, you carry out virtually all the activities single handedly, but going into medium scale, you will need one or two hands to help out.

10. PROXIMITY TO MARKET.

The customer must be satisfied and it is not economically wise for the product to be too distant from the consumer. Thus the farm should be located close to where the major consumers reside, to reduce the cost of transportation on the account of the farmer. Otherwise, there should be ease of accessibility to the farm, that is if the buyers need to come to the farm to buy.

11. PROPER MARKET SURVEY.

You know you are not rearing the fish for your own consumption, so you should conduct a proper market survey to furnish yourself with the information on what part of town requires your products and in what quantity, what is the frequency of purchase, are there other farmers in your locality, how much do they sell their products, and so on. With these pieces of information, you can decipher what others are doing that you need to do and also give yourself the advantage of thinking outside the box. If you can think outside the box, you are sure to make some more bucks.

12. A GOOD KNOWLEDGE OF RUNNING THE FARM.

This is probably the most important thing to know. You must have a sound knowledge of how to run an aquaculture business. Attend a lecture or a seminar on aquaculture, so you can learn a lot more about the rudiments of cat fish farming or attach yourself to a Catfish farm and work (for free if they’re not willing to pay). It is imperative you get trained for at least two to four months before setting up your farm. Equipped with this knowledge, you’d gain valuable information about fish farming, and every it takes to turn out successful. _The business world is like a game, play by the rules and you will get the desired *RESULT.

Tutorial By: SENATOR WILLIAMS

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