Make Money From Aquaculture And Catfish Farming Now.
Make Money From Aquaculture And Catfish Farming Now.
This article lays down the essential elements of aquaculture, and at the end, key steps are outlined on how to set up a fish farm for the purposes of making money.
Aquaculture is a complex field of science. One that has existed since time inmemoria. Aquaculture as it were, encompases various fields of sturdy within the scientific school, and as such, practitioners are expected to posses basic knowledge of laws that guide certain processes in chemistry, physics and biology.
In this article you are going to learn about:
1. What is aquaculture is all about.
2. What fish specie performs best in aquaculture
3. Common species of catfish found in Nigeria
4. Why is catfish a good fish to culture.
5. Invest in catfish aquaculture now
6. The health benefit of catfish
7. What are the processes involved in setting up a fish farm
8. How to write a business plan for a fish farm
9. How to setup a fish farm in ten easy steps.
For the purpose of costing and material purchase, this article will lay enfasis on starting a fish farm in, NIgeria.
What is Aquaculture?
Aquaculture is the farming of fish, crustaceans, mollusks, aquatic plants, algae, and aquatic organisms.
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| Tilapia fishes swimming |
Aquaculture involves the rearing or cultivation of freshwater and saltwater fish populations, under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish from the high sea.
The food industry is a huge one and its sub-industry aquaculture, or fish farming, is a vibrant industry that services various food industry and and directly provides food for human consumption.
What fish specie performs best in aquaculture
Catfish is one of the most stable and easy growing fish species, that has attracted much attention in the fish farming world and has gained wide acceptance among farmers due to its ruggedity and it's ability to survive in harsh conditions.
Catfish farming is a type of fish farming aquaculture, and it is one agro based business venture that promises to be profitable if done right. Catfish farming can be done anywhere once you have a suitable space to construct a fishpond.
One good thing about the catfish farming business is that, while you are making profit, you will also be taking care of your families food and protein needs, just like killing two birds with one stone.
They are a lot of catfish species that a fish farmer can cultivate i.e. carp and tilapia, but catfish has shown consistency in terms of adaptinvness and ease of cultivation.
Common species of catfish found in Nigeria
In Nigeria, the common species of catfish that are locally sourced are; Clarias gariepinus, Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Clarias X Heterobranchus hybrid (Heteroclarias) and Clarias nigro-digitatus. Heterobranchus sp are very common in the south-eastern part of Nigeria with clarias spp dominating in the west.
Clarias gariepenus is popular among the majority of fish farmers in Nigeria, and it has become widely farmed, in major cities due to it's toughness and ability to survive and grow fast.
Why is catfish a good fish to culture.
Catfish has many benefits that makes them outstanding e.g a good thing about catfish is that; the catfishes are very resilient and can adapt very well to different environmental conditions, which is why it is a good choice of fish to rear, when a newbie is thinking of coming into the fish farming business.
You can grow catfish easily and harvest them up to 4 times a year, in well constructed fishponds that makes allowance not to exceed the stocking density/ pond carriage capacity.
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| To invest in fish farming, is to invest in your future |
Invest in catfish aquaculture now
The reason for you to invest in catfish farming is that; the catfish production industry is a lucrative business venture in Nigeria, the one, that is experiencing a steady growths rate given the times we live in today. Fish farming is an industry that is making many young people millionaires every day.
One thing I want you to know is that, malnutrition is a common occurrence in the world nowadays among business men/women, and working class people. Human beings always want to eat healthy foods that are fresh and rich with all the essential nutrients for the proper functioning of the mind and body.
But is this obtainable today? How fresh are the foods we eat daily?
The answer to this question for me, is a big no because; chemical companies and industries have created various ways to preserve food, even fresh foods like meat, fish, and fruits come in well-preserved cans, frozen foods are no exception.
Frozen foods take time in transit before they get to the end user, and even when they do get to the end user, their nutrients would have reduced to a low level.
These then gives rise to the need for people to eat foods with zero chemical and 100% fresh.
Catfish is a good candidate for foods that have zero chemical and are always 100% fresh. Catfish is a freshwater fish, which is a popular source of protein in Nigeria and indeed around the world.
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| Catfish is rich in essential vitamins and minerals. |
The health benefit of catfish
Catfish is low in Sodium, a good source of Thiamine, Potassium, and Selenium, and a rich source of Protein, vitamin D, Vitamin B12 and Phosphorus. These are all vital for our health, not to mention the fact that catfish flesh is delicious and many enjoy it because off it's good taste.
The process of setting up a fish farm.
To set up a fish farm, you have to check the resources that are available to you, if you have a small working capital you can start on a small farm and after some harvests, decide to upgrade your farm, but if you have access to large capital, you can start a large catfish production on a large scale.
My best advice for a newbie would be that you start with a small pond and grow. This way; it helps you to taste the waters and get a first-hand knowledge of how the catfish farm business works. However, larger farms ensure larger harvest, and have the added advantage of being able to buy supplies in large quantities and by so doing reduce their overhead costs.
Once you have calculated what resources you have at your disposal, you will be better positioned to make a better choice as to how to operate your farm. The next step is to go ahead and secure a land space for your operation.
The land space can either be the backyard of your home, a rented space, or an empty land if you have access to one. The next thing to do after you have secured a land space for your farm site, is to provide power for the farm. If electricity is not readily available then you are sure to need a generator for your farm, but they are other alternatives like solar you can choose to use. Once you have a land space with steady power supply, the other things are relatively easy to get.
By now I am thinking that, from my statement above about “resources available to you”, you already have physical cash at hand because the rest things you will need after you procure a land, are a matter of cash at hand, but on the other hand.
One thing about business and being ahead of your competition that everyone should know is that; knowledge is power, and hence anyone who wishes to do well in any given venture must first, obtain the right knowledge that are relevant to that business.
This being said, some important things you need to do before kicking off your farm would be to:
Get requisite knowledge about catfish farming, or get trained in the art.
Do some history, legal and background checks about your chosen business, and how to get it up and running.
One major mistake I made on my journey in becoming a fish farmer was that; when I first came into the business, I thought that I had just found a pot of gold, and I was on my way to making millions of naira; this was because, at the time, I was busy looking at farmers who had made it big, and in my mind, I was just thinking big numbers, but I failed to see as at then, that those farmers had put in hard work and had years of experience.
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| catfish farming done right can become your pot of gold |
Another major mistake I made on my journey in aquaculture, was to venture into fish farming without knowing the condition of my water, and this was because I did not do prior water testing before setting up my farm. It is critical that you know the condition off your water before you start a fish farm.
You need to do some research to find out if you can rear catfish where you have your land space, as not all cultures accept it, even if you are starting your catfish farm on your own property, try to find out if there are other farmers in your locality, engage with them to get an idea of your local market, and the dynamic nature of your groundwater table.
Speak with an expert about How to register your business. You may need some legal document like a license or a permit before you can operate a standard fish farm. Whatever the case, do your homework.
Have a business and marketing plan in place:
How to write a business plan for a fish farm
You have to come up with a business and marketing plan to succeed in any business. So do some market research to find out what works, and what does not, and draw up your business plan based on your findings to maximize profit and minimize waste.
Some simple steps involved in writing a business plan involves ask your self these following questions:
1. Who will my customers be? Will I be selling directly to my customers or supplying to a local market, supermarket or through agents?
2. Will I be supplying to farmers, consumers or exporting?
3. What are my strengths and weakness? e.t.c.
Whatever your dreams ask yourself these questions and answer them, also talk to other farmers who are in the business already for some advice about feeds available in the market, and their costs, and you should make out time to do some fields tour to farms to get first-hand knowledge of various farming systems.
When you have covered these steps, you will be well-equipped to come up with a good marketing strategy for your business.
How to setup a fish farm in ten easy steps.
Start your catfish farming business right now with these 10 simple steps:
Step 1. DO your research so that you can understand the basics of fish farming, you don’t want to start any business venture without proper research about the said venture. This is what leads to loss.
Step 2. Write your business plan.
Step 3. Procure your farm site or land space.
Step 4. Drill your borehole.
Step 5. Get your ponds constructed.
Step 6. Choose your feed and feeding regime (remember what I said about resources available)
Step 7. Procure medication (anti biotics and disinfectants)
Step 8. Stock your ponds with fingerlings.
Step 9. Start feeding your fingerlings.
Step 10. Harvest your fish and sell.
Conclusion:
Feeding is what you need to worry about once you have stocked your ponds with catfsh fingerlings. You can choose from local, or imported catfish feed, as there are a lot of feed brands in the market, with different formulation and FCR.
Whenever you are choosing a feed brand, chose a brand that will provide the right nutrients that the catfish requires to grow well, and those not drill a big hole in your pockets.
Quality fingerling+quality water+quality feed= high catfish yield per harvest.
Put all the knowledge you have gained during your research into action, and produce catfish for your market today and start making money for yourself.
But be very carefull not to over stock your ponds, and exceeding its stocking density. It is very much advisable to start your fish farm with a minimum of 2 ponds, so that you can sort them into uniform sizes as they grow, this practice reduces loss by carnibalizations.
It is very critical for you to run a water test before you start any aquaculture venture, because water quality and management is what differientiates a successful farm from all the others.
What do you think about fish farming? Is it a business you see yourself doing? Let us know what you think about this post, we would love to hear your surgestions.
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