Zimbabwe had up to now stocked 37 dams with fish countrywide as a part of its multi-million-rand aquaculture programme that was once introduced in 2022.
The dams are positioned within the provinces of Matabeleland South, Mashonaland Central, Mashonaland East, Mashonaland West, Midlands and Masvingo.
The Zimbabwe executive embarked at the programme with a view to cope with meals lack of confidence and unemployment, and to create avenues of source of revenue era.
In step with a piece of writing revealed by means of thefishsite.com, the programme was once carried out in 2022 by means of that nation’s agriculture ministry via its fisheries and aquaculture sources manufacturing division. The objective is to ascertain 1 200 stocked dams within the geographical region over 5 years.
In step with the item, Zimbabwe recently faces fish shortages, forcing imports from neighbouring international locations. The Zimbabwe Nationwide Statistics Company not too long ago reported that the agricultural inhabitants in Zimbabwe accounted for 68% of annual fish intake in each quantity and worth, whilst the city group made up 32% of the yearly expenditure on fish intake.
In step with a reality sheet revealed by means of the United Country’s Meals and Agriculture Group (FAO), the fishery sector in Zimbabwe exploited about 114 indigenous fish species and an extra 30 unique species, that have been offered for aquaculture manufacturing. Alternatively, handiest the Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) had made a vital contribution to fish manufacturing in that nation.
Farmer’s Weekly reported in November 2022 on a method that will see a just about threefold build up of farmed Nile tilapia in Zimbabwe. That technique was once supported by means of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States. Manufacturing was once foreseen to extend from the present 5 600t/12 months to fourteen 000t/ 12 months in 2032.
As a part of the aquaculture programme, tilapia fingerlings are to be launched into group dams. The programme is funded by means of the Zimbabwean executive, supported by means of the EU and with the FAO offering technical help.
“To this finish, executive has taken quite a few projects to expand the fisheries and aquaculture trade. Recently, the flagship programme is the presidential group fisheries scheme that was once introduced at Muchekeranwa Dam close to Marondera,” mentioned Milton Makumbe, director within the Zimbabwean Ministry of Agriculture’s division of fisheries and aquaculture sources.