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Precious Manomano Herald Reporter
Farmers have welcomed the Government’s initiative to introduce an Aquaculture Bill to expand and regulate fisheries effectively, describing a move as a milestone of economic importance that can pave way for investments in the sector.
The initiative is meant to strengthen the country’s fisheries and aquaculture legislation and transform it into a driver of economic growth and source of employment for Zimbabweans.
The new Bill will incorporate international best practices in fisheries and aquaculture management and will be aligned with national development priorities.
Tobacco Farmers Union Trust president Mr Victor Mariranyika said Government’s move is greatly appreciated because farmers need to diversify adding that several individuals are earning a living through aquaculture.
“A lot of people are earning a living through aquaculture. This is a positive step towards diversity, improving nutrition and incomes. We appreciate the initiative and we hope the majority will benefit a lot from this strategy.
“Fish farming has many benefits to individuals. We encourage farmers who are close to water bodies to use the opportunity because a farmer need to diversify farming to make profits,” he said.
Parliament is scheduled to debate the Bill and pass it into law during this year.
The programme will lead to fulfilment of the Vision 2030 objectives that include import substitution through improved food and nutritional security, employment creation and improved incomes.
Mr John Khumalo of Matabeleland expressed excitement on the move by the Government to come up with the Bill on fisheries as farmers in the region were being short-changed by bogus suppliers of fingerlings who were supplying poor quality.
Mr Khumalo said the Government’s initiative will uplift farmers.
“We have fish farmers here in Matabeleland, but most were not harvesting to their expectations largely because of some unscrupulous individuals who were supplying substandard fingerlings that were not giving the expected yields.
“Fish farmers are therefore extremely excited by the Government’s move on the Presidential Fisheries Programme as it will result in us getting quality fingerlings which will help us contribute towards the Agriculture,” he said.
“Fish is a very important economic product in Zimbabwe as a source of income, livelihood and employment creation yet the fisheries and aquaculture sectors have not been able to reach their full potential in terms of utilising the growth opportunities and downstream benefits to the communities.”
Mr Tendai Mwanza of Mutare said he has four ponds at his farm with a fish carrying capacity of 3000 to 4000 but at the moment the ponds have no aquatic life as he was undertaking some renovations.
“Because of the poor quality of fingerlings we were getting, our profit margins were low. Our target market has largely been supermarkets in Mutare, but with this exciting development, we will soon be looking beyond Mutare,” said Mr Mwanza.
The Government is set to support more than 50 000 fish farmers as a way to boost productivity that they realise better returns from fish value chains.
Fish farming is the fastest growing food producing sector and can be produced more efficiency and cost effectively. Presidential Fisheries Programme is set to be introduced in 1 200 dams across the country with 50 000 fingerlings set to be released into each dam by 2025.
In a recent interview, Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Davis Marapira said participation in fish leads to the development of the country through exportation of produce to the SADC regional market and other countries, thereby increasing incomes.
He said more fish ponds will be set to support people’s livelihoods. Manicaland was doing well in fish production.
The drilling of 35 000 boreholes by the Government was a way to improve communities so that they transform livelihoods through horticulture and aquaculture.
The World Food Programme estimates that about 1,5 million Zimbabweans, or about 18 percent of the population, are food-insecure. Nutritional value obtained from fish can help alleviate this situation. Aquaculture can be a turning point to Zimbabwe’s economic growth through creation of employment for youths. Government’s move is in line with Vision 2030 working towards an upper-middle income economy by 2030, following the successful completion of land reform.
Online Reporter