Make Money from Fish Farming Opportunities in Africa

A lot of people engage in fish farming because of the numerous nutritional values fish has in our diets. Unlike pork and snail that is often forbidden (especially in East Africa), fish has gained wide consumption across various ethnic groups and religions.

Fish serve as an alternative to meat on fasting days when the eating of meat is forbidden among the Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

In addition, More and more people are opting for a healthier alternative to pork, beef, turkey, and chicken as a result of the growing concern for healthy meats in the African kitchen.

Africa has extensive marine fisheries that are exploited by foreign commercial fleets. These catches are destined for export and play little role in meeting the continent’s food needs.

Why Fish Farming?

There is a growing demand for fish in Africa. And as supply is unable to keep pace with the demand of an exploding African population, fish has continued to attract higher prices in our markets.

Having known this, it is self-evident that there exists a gap, or opportunity for entrepreneurs, to meet the demand of this fast-growing market.

Aquaculture and small-scale fisheries offer specific opportunities to grow Africa’s rural economy and reduce hunger and poverty.

For the foreseeable future, the bulk of fish in African markets will continue to come from small-scale fisheries. This is especially true for affordable fish products for the poor.

It is a key priority in the fight against malnutrition in Africa to first safeguard, and second increase, this supply of highly nutritious food to vulnerable populations.

Fish farming is increasingly becoming an attractive form of aquaculture in Africa. Its practice comes with a lot of business opportunities for the farmer.

Fish farming, or pisciculture as it is called, is the primary form of aquaculture that involves raising fish in tanks, ponds, cages, and irrigation ditches for personal use or for commercial purposes.

Types of Fish Grown in Fish Farms

There are a number of different fish species that are raised on fish farms. The most common fish species raised are salmon, carp, tilapia, catfish, and cod.

Among all the fishes mentioned, catfish stands out for some reasons: (Learn more about catfish farming in this article)

  • Catfish have developed, in addition to gills, an organ (the arborescent organ) that enables the fish to obtain oxygen from the air when the oxygen levels are too low in the water.
  • The fish is able to withstand slightly acidic water
  • It has relatively Lower-cost feed
  • The fish is also an omnivore, meaning it can feed on almost anything
  • There are many suppliers of fingerlings and juveniles
  • The catfish also grows fast, depending on the feeding
  • Feed suppliers are readily available
  • Also, catfish can survive in a pond all year-round
  • They are easy to farm in warmer climates, and of course, Africa has that perfect climate.

There are a number of catfish species, but the three most prominent ones are blue catfish (Ictalurus furcatus), channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and flathead catfish (Pylodictis olivaris).

There are two ways of doing fish farming; Nursery Fish farming and Grow Out Fish Farming.

You may choose to operate these two systems separately or integrate the process.

Before you delve deep into the fish farming business, you may need to analyze the following characteristics of a commercial fish farmer.

Characteristics of a Commercial Fish Farmer

  • Plans production around targeted markets.
  • Harvests and sells fish based on a plan.
  • Employs technically-trained and knowledgeable personnel.
  • The management approach is performance oriented with an emphasis on yields, productivity (efficiency of production), and profits.
  • Produces for profit.
  • Costs all inputs inclusive of own labor.
  • Keeps and analyses are written records of production, costs, and returns.
  • Information from farm records forms the basis for making management decisions. The farm’s records are the key management tool.

Fish Market/Buyers

Do not wait until your fish is ready for sale before you start looking for buyers.

One of the biggest mistakes many fish farmers make is to start looking for buyers only when the fish is ready for sale.

At that time, your pond will have attained the maximum capacity at which all the fish stop growing.

The longer the fish stay in the pond after they have stopped growing, the smaller the profit margin. You will spend more on feeding them so they don’t lose weight (which will affect your sale price).

The market is the driving force for commercial fish farming. 

It is very important you identify a potential market where you can sell profitably. The price of fish produced, the quantity produced per time, and how frequently sales can be done are determined by the market.

Consequently, it is the target market that determines the levels of one’s investment in fish farming, the species to grow, the size of the harvest, and even the size of the pond.

Therefore, the optimum size of one’s operation, the technology one should adopt as well as the management strategy the farmer should have is based on the market they wish to enter.

Decision-Making for Fish Farmers

There are some decisions a farmer would have to make based on the physical and financial resources available to him:

1. How many ponds should I have in order to meet my market targets?

2. How can I construct a fish pond, taking into account the size and design of the pond?

3. What number of these ponds can actually fit on my land?

4. How long should my production cycle be?

5. What kind of management should I adopt for timely harvest?

6. What would be the optimum size of fish to produce?

7. Can I meet my customers’ needs from my farm?

8. Should I partner with other farmers in order to meet market demand?

Overall Goal of Fish Farming Business

Your overall goal in the fish farming business should be to supply fish to the market at competitive prices that still allow you to make a good profit. A good way to increase the profit potential of this business is to sell directly to consumers.

The downside to this strategy is that you will only sell a smaller volume of fish at a time compared to the high volumes the middlemen buy.

If you are able to get a consistent customer base for your fish, this strategy will prove to be very profitable. It will also cut down the cost of running your business tremendously.

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19 Comments

    1. Mbazu Chibuzor says:

      Thank you.

  1. DAUDA SALIHU says:

    so fantastic in fact it was so instead

    1. Mbazu Chibuzor says:

      Lol. Thanks a lot🙌🏽

  2. very educative. Thanks very much

  3. I think you should also include things like costing in your post. so how much will a person require to start on a small scale…things like this.

    1. Thanks for you suggestion.
      Please, I will advice you see an expert in that field that will assess your area and give you the correct cost implications.

  4. My Request:
    Pls let us av little information on the cost of feeding one thousands catfish to table sizes.

    1. Thanks for you honest opinion. However, cost vary from place to place. We have no control of that.
      You can check a local feed store or any training institute for that query.
      Thank you.

  5. Thank for this valuable information. Pls keep it up

  6. Adamu Usman says:

    This is a good encouragement. It’ll be an assistance.
    Thanks.

  7. You guys are doing a great job. How about poultry farming and its business plans

    1. Thank you for your honest opinion. We’ll provide that soon. Please stay tuned.

  8. This is nice. keep it up

    1. Gospel Nwadioha says:

      Thanks Godswill

  9. Gospel Chinonso says:

    nice write up

    1. Thank you Gospel

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