Tilapia or Catfish farming can be done

Tilapia or Catfish farming can be done

Did you know that most freshwater fish farms in Africa are operated with minimum investment and infrastructure – and a lot of them are doin... 10:10:00 AM

Did you know that most freshwater fish farms in Africa are operated with minimum investment and infrastructure – and a lot of them are doing well? So if you are looking for a farming business idea, you probably should try aquaculture.

Catfish and tilapia are among the most consumed fish in the world and have been caught and farmed for food for hundreds of years in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America.

The fish are often bought when they are 30mm in size and reared in a nursery to 50mm before stocking in the bigger ponds.

There are many varieties of tilapia and catfish to choose from – choose a variety that is popular in your target market which would undoubtedly improve your farm’s profitability. For example, while catfish is consumed in Africa and across the world, in Central Europe and Southern United States, the fish is often viewed as a delicacy to be enjoyed on feast days and holidays.

Starting small

If you are limited on space, one of the best ways to start out is by building a small re-circulating tunnel system.

A small tilapia and catfish farm in a rural area can have ponds that are less than 500m² in size. Some micro farmers are known to achieve success with ponds that are only 50m².

As a farmer you will probably need to label your ponds. You will also need to keep meticulous records of your stocking rates and sales – even in an old school exercise book.

Your fish can be fed sparingly with tilapia pellets, and the ponds fertilised with cattle manure. Some farmers are known to feed their fish only on vegetables.

A more sophisticated operation

A more sophisticated tilapia farm can have a system of up to twenty 9 000l concrete tanks coupled to a sediment-trap and mechanical and biological filters recessed in the ground – all relying on gravity.

Gravity-settlement sedimentation tanks remove sediment without any machinery or electrical devices. Flushing is as straightforward as opening a valve every day to remove solid waste to a sump, to be disposed later.

Water reticulation can be via a 0,55kW swimming pool pump, and aeration via a small blower. Water filtration is the key to success as it keeps the ponds clean and the fish healthy.

Water is supplied from a quarry-fed stream using gravity, as well as from a strong borehole. The set-up is everything a good recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) should be: uncomplicated, user-friendly and well-built.

The fish can be fed with pellets and vegetables.

From such an operation, you will be able to sell to large supermarkets and even export.

Stocking levels

A 1m deep tank can be stocked with 500 fingerlings each, which are thinned out to 50 to 75 large fish as they grow. Expect to harvest the fish at a mass of about 350g to 400g maximum.

Advice is to start small with what you have – a small pilot project before investing substantial capital – and don’t aim to produce 1000 tonnes of fish in your first year. As your operation grows, you can add a fish-processing factory as well as feed manufacturing facility.

A small scale starter project should cost you less than US$5000 and can produce 600kg to 1200kg of fish a year if well-run. Less the costs of electricity, feed, water and labour, you should realise a nice profit, which increases as you grow the business.

Get a course in farming and aquaculture if you can.