Fish farmers to benefit from GES programme in 2014

Fishermen and aquaculture practitioners will benefit from the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GES) of the agricultural transformation agenda in 2014, an official has said.

Samuel Ayeni, acting director, department of fishery, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, announced this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Jos weekend.

Ayeni, who said that the idea was part of effort to boost fish production in Nigeria, said the inclusion of aquaculture in GES programme was due to the increasing demand for fish protein.

He said fish farmers would be supported with fingerling fish, water testing kits and fish feed to enable them sustain production to meet the fish needs of Nigerians.

The director also said that fishermen would be supported with canoes, floats and sinkers as well as nets and ice boxes.

“Inputs constitute the greatest challenge for farmers, whether in crop production, livestock production or aquaculture.

“For example, fish feed takes about 60 to 70 percent of the cost of inputs.

“Therefore, the incorporation of fish farmers in the GES programme through support in the form of feeds, water testing kits, nets and so on would greatly reduce cost of input.

“These, among other things, were designed to meet the ever-growing fish needs in the country and also to encourage youths in fish farming”, he said.