FUNAAB starts multiplication scheme on aquaculture

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has established a scheme on acquaculture aimed at massive production of fingerlings and brood stocks of various species of fish for onward distribution to farmers.

This shows that efforts of the Federal Government targeted towards reduction of fish imports from different countries of the world might have been yielding desired result. This has been made possible through collaborative effort of FUNAAB and West African Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria), an assignment that was carried out as a follow-up to Federal Government Acquaculture Scheme from which farmers get about 500 juveniles and five bags of floating feeds each annually.

Before now, a N47.5 million monetary grant was given to FUNAAB by the West African Agriculture Productivity Programme (WAAPP-Nigeria) last year, for improved collaborative activities in the multiplication of cassava, tuber cuttings, maize seed and fingerlings multiplication and brood stock production for Southwest farmers. 

Going by the agreement reached for the implementation of the acquaculture component of the FUNAAB-WAAPP project, the West Africa Agricultural Productivity Programme (WAAP- Nigeria) has however donated a cooling van to the university for the production of millions of fingerlings and brood stocks of different species of fish for onward transfer to farmers across the country.

Speaking on FUNAAB-WAAPP Acquaculture Scheme, Akin Omotayo, the director, Institute of Food Security, Environmental Resources and Agricultural Research (IFSERAR-FUNAAB), noted that the programme was initiated to ensure multiplication of fingerlings and brood stocks of different species of fish, cutting unnecessary dependence on fish importation in the long run. 

Omotayo disclosed that the aquaculture component of the FUNAAB-WAAPP project was meant to produce 8 million fingerlings and at least, 10,000 brood stocks of different species of fish for farmers across the country, adding that the institution was working in consonance with the Federal Ministry of Agriculture’s drive to curtail frozen foods imports, especially fish.

He said further that the funding of the project was provided by WAAPP, while the van was meant to convey fingerlings and brood stocks from the IFSERAR Research farm to various destinations across the country, adding that FUNAAB has massively involved in production and onward distribution of fingerlings and brood stocks of different species of fish to farmers as part of effort to encourage investment in acquaculture. 

While speaking with a commercial fish farmer, Adeolu Onasanya in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, he disclosed that there was massive investment in acquaculture and fishery across the country since government, especially Federal Government had brought about Acquaculture Scheme that really helped fish farmers at the grassroots and even commercial farmers to invest more.

Giving an example of investment in acquaculture currently happening at the riverine areas in the state, Onasanya said recent collaboration between Federal Government and Ogun State government on fingerlings multiplication and brood stock production in Ogun waterside had really encouraged fish production in Ijebu – Ogun East Senatorial district, adding that government only needed sustainability and control to reduce fish importation. 

But, Kikelomo Shotunde, a cool room operator in Abeokuta, the state capital, advised that the ongoing Federal Government Acquaculture Scheme should not only focus on fish producing from fresh water habitat such as cat fish, Tilapia among others, but should also extend to the production and storage of fish produced from marine water habitat, saying that a bulk of fish imported and consumed in the country was not fresh water habitat-based.

She, however, added that there must be a consideration for other species of fish apart from fresh water habitat fish that was so common in the country, just as she said that there must be a comprehensive investment in different species of fish from water habitats and effective storage facility, for the country to really tackle and curtail the capital flight and correct balance of payment.

RAZAQ AYINLA