Online Reporter
Judith Phiri, Zimpapers Business Hub
THE Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development has hailed the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for collaborating with the Government in the implementation of a project now propelling Zimbabwe towards its target of a US$1 billion fish economy by 2030.
For decades, fish farming in Zimbabwe was a venture defined by uncertainty and chance. Smallholder farmers across the country often relied on “wild” fingerlings harvested from rivers or unverified water sources.
This breeding material offered no guarantee of growth or profit.
That era of “fishing by chance” is rapidly making way for a future of “farming by design.”
Speaking at the end-of-project workshop for the technical co-operation programme (TCP) underway in Masvingo, the ministry’s director for the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production Department (Fard), under the Agricultural and Rural Development Services directorate, Mr Milton Tinashe Makumbe, hailed the transformative impact of the two-year partnership between the Government and FAO.
“The project was born out of a stark reality of a 2021 Tilapia Value Chain analysis that revealed that an overwhelming 80 percent of fingerlings used in Zimbabwe originated from unreliable water bodies.
“This shortage of quality seed stood as the single greatest barrier to the aquaculture sector’s growth, posing significant risks to both biosecurity and productivity. We set out with a clear mandate, to decentralise supply and ensure our farmers have reliable access to superior genetics,” he said.
He said the results unveiled in Masvingo demonstrated a massive leap in national production capability as the project focused on three strategic fishery hubs, namely Henderson (Mashonaland Central), Matopos (Matabeleland South), and the Makoholi Fisheries Unit (Masvingo).
Mr Makumbe said key milestones included capacity breakthroughs at both Matopos and Makoholi. Five new fishponds were established at each site, creating a projected annual capacity of 3 564 000 high-quality fingerlings per facility.
“The early wins are that the Matopos fisheries unit has already commenced production, with over 8 000 fingerlings produced to date. There is solar-powered resilience to combat water and energy challenges, as boreholes at these facilities have been solarised.
“This ensures that the delicate breeding environment remains stable, regardless of power fluctuations,” he added.
He said the project targeted approximately 10 million high-quality fingerlings annually, while the impacted sites so far were Henderson (Mazowe), Makoholi (Masvingo) and Matopos (Bulawayo) fisheries’ units.
Mr Makumbe said the economic goal was anchoring the US$1 billion fish economy by 2030, with the fully solarised breeding facilities for climate resilience playing a key role.
The revitalisation of the Makoholi Fisheries breeding site is a crowning achievement of the “Blue Transformation.” Once underutilised, Makoholi has been resurrected through strategic foundational investments.
The site now serves as a primary supplier for the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme, drastically reducing transportation costs and risks for local rural entrepreneurs.
He said: “Makoholi is no longer just a theoretical hub; it is now a factory of opportunity. We are turning Masvingo’s water into a sustainable livelihood for thousands of youth and women.”
While infrastructure is not the only part of the success story, the programme also prioritised human capacity building, including through a high-impact “Look and Learn” tour to Zambia’s National Aquaculture Research Development Centre (NARDC) in May 2024.
This regional exchange has enriched Zimbabwe’s breeding strategies with international best practices in genetics and fish nutrition.
The project has successfully equipped staff to handle broodstock and the ministry is already looking ahead. Plans are underway for specialised short courses in advanced fish genetics to ensure these breeding lines are sustained for generations.
In line with Zimbabwe’s Vision 2030, the project serves as the engine driving Zimbabwe toward a US$1 billion fish economy and aligns directly with the Presidential Rural Development Programme 8.0, bringing wealth and nutrition to the village level.
“The foundation for Zimbabwe’s blue economy has never been firmer, with comprehensive Hatchery Management Guidelines recently launched and modernised infrastructure across the three hubs. The ministry is inviting farmers to move away from unreliable seed and embrace this transformation.”
By strategically positioning the hatcheries, the Government is promoting blue economy business, reducing costs for remote farmers and ensuring that women and youth have equitable access to the tools of wealth creation.
With the foundations laid at Makoholi, Matopos and Henderson fisheries, the nation is turning its 10 000 dams into the food factories of the future.
This two-day workshop has successfully positioned the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Department (Fard) as a leader in the Blue Transformation, sparking strong public interest in high-quality fingerlings as a primary driver for rural wealth creation under National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) into NDS2.
