Zambia Agribusiness Society

Before a farmer starts fish farming, there are several basic considerations to ensure success. These include: Pond design When deciding on the pond site and design, there are some factors to be considered. Some of these are: a) Source of water to fill the pond and how the same water will be brought to the pond : The general rule is that the pond water inflow and outflow should equal the pond volume over the period of a month. If the inflow is too low, water quality may suffer from oxygen depletion and/or accumulation of toxicants. If the water outflow is too high, large amounts of beneficial algae may be flushed out from the pond. The water should keep the pond full throughout the culture period. The pond should fill up in less than a week. Place screens on pond inlets and outlets to keep out predators, insects and unwanted fish and also to retain the cultured fish. b) Size, shape and depth of the pond : Relatively shallow ponds are productive. However, the shallow

A fish farm or fish based business could easily generate a good amount of money. Even if you are not a traditional fish farmer, you could easily make a steady income from your home, using aquaculture fish farming techniques. Fish is increasingly becoming popular as a source of protein, and it could easily feed a small family with very little cost or overheads. There are also other benefits of fish farming. You could use the waste from your kitchen to feed your fish, and if you have a kitchen garden, you could also use the waste from your fish as fertilizer for your kitchen garden. Starting Your Own Business Starting any kind of business needs knowledge and experience in the related field. If you are new to the fishing business, it might be a good idea to start small and gather experience as you progress. Managing a business requires many of the administrative skills, be it fish farming or any other business. It also means that you will not have a boss to give you directions and you

 Fish diseases affect the survival and growth rates of fish under culture. Given that treatments are expensive, fish diseases invariably lead to lower harvest and higher cost. Fish farmers often suffer hefty economic losses due to fish diseases. To alleviate such losses, it is crucial to take precautions to prevent fish diseases and reduce pathogen levels in water bodies. It is also important to prevent water quality from deteriorating and to strengthen the natural resistance of the fish stock. Regular monitoring of fish health is an effective way to identify disease causes and appropriate treatments. One major cause of serious fish kill is overlooking the contagiousness of fish diseases and thus delaying treatment. As such, adequate care and treatment should be given to infected fish promptly. Causes of Fish Diseases There are three major causes of fish diseases: a.        Presence of environmental pathogens b.       Low resistance of the fish stock c.        Unsatisfact

Earthen ponds 1. Earthen ponds are more comfortable and different varieties of fish survive in them more than other ponds. 2. These ponds also enhance the quality of the fish in terms of taste and also allows farmers to use any type of feed. 3. They solve the problem of water pollution. 4. Fish grow faster in earthen ponds compared to other aquaculture structures. These benefits can only be attained if you get your ponds constructed by experts!!

Many potential fish farmers ask questions on factors to consider when starting a fish farm and how profitable is fish farming? Several extension officers and consultants in fish farming give an outline on factors and things needed to develop a profitable fish farm. Let us consider four steps to profitable aquaculture: learning, evaluating, planning, and testing. 1. Learning Learning is a first step in developing a profitable fish farm. This include attending training, reading and visiting experienced fish farmers. It also involves hiring an experienced consultant to help you get started in fish farming. 2. Evaluating Evaluate your resources — human and natural. Your genuine response to this question will help you to plan: Do you have the time, energy and financial resources to develop a fish farm? Do you have both land and water that can be used for fish farming? What equipment will you need to raise fish? Are there local markets for fish that you can supply? 3. Planning

Fish farming has made a lot of progress in the last few years. It has already been honored as one of the lucrative businesses all across the world. The nutrition-conscious world is highly in demand for fishes as it is a great source of food as well as protein. Along with this, the growing population is further leading to a growing appetite for fish all over the world. Undeniably the world has entered a different and quite restrictive phase after the outburst of the pandemic. And meeting the growing demand for fish in such circumstances has created massive challenges for the suppliers. The feeling of déjà vu is real, as most of the countries have certainly become the victim of the second wave of covid-19. The phase of lockdown has tightened up the situations for the industry in a different and challenging manner. Where on one hand the vaccination campaigns are providing hope, on the other hand, the devastating situation due to the second wave is wreaking havoc in several regions.  In th

There are many factors to consider when selecting a tilapia species. Here, in a nutshell, are the main advantages and disadvantages of each one. Which tilapia species is best for aquaculture? This is not as simple as it sounds; the answer depends on factors such as intended use, culture system and climatic and environmental conditions. The term ‘tilapia’ refers to all fish of the cichlid family that resemble the original genus Tilapia. In Southern Africa, naturally occurring tilapia fall into two genera: Oreochromis and Tilapia. Oreochromis are maternal mouth brooders, while Tilapia are substrate spawners. There are two indigenous species of each: 1. Oreochromis O. mossambicus : The Mozambique bream, or blue kurper, is the best-known tilapia species. It is deep-bodied and occurs in the warmer parts of South Africa in east-flowing rivers and dams. It has also been widely translocated to areas such as the Western Cape and Namibia. Red forms suitable for aquaculture are available.

Small-scale farmers netting a pond, Kawala, Mbala District Prior to a farmer starting fish farming, there are a few fundamental contemplations to guarantee success. These include: 1. Design of the Pond When choosing the pond site and configuration, there are a few variables to be considered. Portions of these are: Source of water to fill the pond and how the same water will be brought to the pond: The general rule is that the pond water inflow and outflow should measure up to the pond volume over the time of a month. On the off chance that the inflow is too low, water quality may experience the ill effects of oxygen exhaustion as well as collection of toxicants. In the event that the water surge is too high, a lot of valuable green growth might be flushed out from the pond. The water should keep the pond full all through the culture period. The pond should top off in under seven days. Place screens on pond deltas and outlets to keep out predators, creepy crawlies and undesirabl