Theseus Mauruki Shambare
Agriculture Correspondent
MASVINGO farmers from 12 aquaculture clusters representing more than 500 farmers are targeting to generate US$1 million for rural households by the end of 2027, building on improved access to fish production inputs and skills gained through an aquaculture development programme.
The target was revealed during the final day of the two-day Fisheries for African, Caribbean and Pacific Countries (FISH4ACP) Zimbabwe Legacy Event in Harare, where beneficiaries outlined plans to sustain the programme’s gains beyond its implementation period.
The farmers are also benefiting from a fingerling distribution hub established in the province under FISH4ACP, bringing supplies closer to producers and reducing the distances and costs previously associated with sourcing quality fingerlings.
The initiative, dubbed One Fish, One US Dollar, aims to reach one million fish, with aquaculture entrepreneur and lead farmer Rudo Maponga spearheading the drive.
Maponga, who represents the 12 clusters, said the initiative was part of efforts to sustain the gains made under the programme.
“For sustainability, we have an initiative in our groups that is ‘one fish, one US dollar’. We have a target of reaching one million fish.
“This means that by the end of 2027, we want to generate 1 million US dollars in rural households. That is our sustainability plan,” she said.
The fingerling hub was established to address challenges faced by farmers who previously had to travel long distances to access reliable supplies from Kariba and Bindura, raising production costs and limiting their ability to expand.
Maponga said FISH4ACP had helped unlock the potential of local farmers by equipping them with practical fish farming, business management and market access skills.
“FISH4ACP did not only come as a donor, but also came and triggered potential here in Zimbabwe. Potential in me and potential in the fish farmers that I work with,” she said.
She added that the initiative was creating opportunities for young people, who earn incomes through digging ponds and preparing sites for fish production.
Muchakata Cluster secretary Kumbirai Chinyere said FISH4ACP had transformed farmers’ understanding of aquaculture, moving them from informal fishing practices towards structured and more productive fish farming.
“Before the FISH4ACP team arrived, we used to farm fish simply, targeting rivers or dams, without realizing that fish farming could be done in a structured, productive way,” she said.
Chinyere said farmers were taught the importance of constructing ponds to the correct standards and caring for fish to improve production.
“When they came, they taught us that a fish pond needs to be properly constructed with the correct standards so that the fish are well cared for, happy, and grow large. We began to see the light and realized how beneficial these practices are,” she said.
Beyond production skills, she said the programme had helped farmers develop a business-oriented approach and strengthen cooperation within their clusters.
“We were also trained on how to manage a business, moving away from treating it just as a backyard project, and learning how to work together in groups. This helped us support each other through challenges, share ideas on how to cover costs, and assist one another,” Chinyere said.
FISH4ACP is a global development initiative implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), with funding from the European union and Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).
In Zimbabwe, the programme has supported the upgrading of the tilapia aquaculture value chain through farmer training, improved access to production inputs, infrastructure development and stronger market linkages.
The One Fish, One US Dollar initiative is among the efforts by beneficiaries to translate these investments into sustained fish production, employment and rural household incomes.
