If you are starting a fish farming in 2022, things have changed. The world has changed. Agriculture has changed. The way we used to farm before has changed. Yet Fish farming remains a profitable and safe venture for new entrants into agriculture. Aquaculture is the growing of living organism inside water. This article focuses on fish farming with an emphasis on catfish farming.
Lets dive in and disucss 7 questions you should answer before you start a fish farm in 2022.

1. The power of vision.

The world is a global village now. You can decide to export your fish. The requirements of nafdac and son means that you should let the decision of your target market influence the setup of your farm.

If you want to export your fishes you know that your ponds water source must be controlled. You cannot use runoff water for the farm. You would need a borehole that can be tested.

If you are raising over 20,000 fishes, you know that you would need those clients who buy fishes in tonnes. They would always bring buses, so you need parking space close to the ponds. You would also prefer earthen ponds because you would be keeping the fishes for at least 7 months. But if you are doing about 10 thousand fishes, you can do mobile tarpaulin fish ponds. You can stagger your fishes because you would sell your fishes small small rather than the whole pond at once.</p>

To know the number of fish you can raise. Use 700naira as a cost price to raise one fish to 1kg. </p>

Oya calculate it, that means 1000 fishes is 700,000. Oya realistically, how many fishes can you raise to 1kg ? Please don’t start a farm and then stop short because of funds. It would make you under pressure and then sell at a loss price because you don’t have funds to continue to feed the fishes . Start small and let the farm grow.

2. Secure your water

As I said earlier, water is one of the 3 most important things in fish farming. It is called Aquaculture for a reason. Water cannot be rationed, it cannot be managed. You need a borehole or a running stream or a swamp to ensure you have running water year round.

See this video where I discuss water shortage on one of my farms. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vxraxr6u92Y

Water should always be readily available. Discuss with your borehole guy, you need an industrial borehole, it must support a 2horse power pumping machine and at least a 2 inch pipe coming out from the borehole. I am serious ! its better we have one very good borehole than have 3 small insufficient boreholes.


3. Use production target to determine ponds type and size

There are different fish pond types and they best suit different fish farming activities.

There are tanks, earthen ponds, fiber glass setups, concrete ponds, mobile fish ponds and recirculatory systems.

Fiber glass setups and recirculatory systesms are usually best for fish hatching and the creation of juveniles and fingerlings.

Mobile ponds, Concrete ponds and Tanks are best for mélange and smoking sized fish. Earthen ponds are best for table size fishes and broodstock.

When starting a fish farm in 2022, make sure you calculate your stocking density so you know the exact number of fishes to put in each pond. A 10*10*4ft mobile pond would take about 800 fishes, the smallest earthen pond you should do for growout fishes should be 50ft*30ft and depending on water availability that can take about 500 fishes.

4. Innovation: What is your advantage?

Please know that every farm is different, yet every farm is the same business. As you are coming into the fish industry, what is your comparative advantage?

Is it that you are closer to your consumers so you can serve them better and fresher fish?

Is it that you use Solar to power your pumping machines rather than fuel powered generator?

Is it that you reduce labor cost by deploying Automatic Fish Feeder and thus your produce is cheaper?

Are you thinking of Climate change and its challenges in you starting the fish farm in 2022?


5. The almighty Feed issue

Fish feed should be about 70 percent expense on a well setup fish farm.

If you setup your fish farm properly then you should have feed expense, water change, cost of fingerlings and juvenile and cost of labor (staff salaries) as your top most expense in your fish farm. Now I know that you have heard that you can make your own feed, its true.

And I do make my own feed in some farms; however I don’t make my own feed in all of my farms. Some of the farms are not big enough to make that venture worth it.

I personally advise that if you are not doing 10,000 fishes and above you shouldn’t bother with fish feed making machines. The money you would use to buy, install and run those machines is higher than what you think you would save from buying normal branded feed. There are good and economic fish feeds available right now.

See this video where I talked about how to make a decision on which feed to use in starting yor fish farm in 2022, using either imported fish feeds like Skretting and Coppens or made in Nigeria feeds like Vital, Top, Bluecrown or Ecofloat feeds.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIyazmxtx6M&t=54s

6. Fish Processing the superpower
Please and please, don’t start your fish farms without plans to have a fish processing oven.

You would thank me later.

Even if you don’t get it in the beginning, just have the plans for it. You would ultimately get requests for smoked catfish. Also when selling fish, you would get premium prices for smoking the smaller sized fishes than dashing the fish buyer who complains that he won’t pay premium price for them because they are small in size.

Also, if your fishes ever look like they want to falter and give you trouble, you can always smoke them and repurpose them.


7. Source of Juveniles or fingerlings

This is a big issue that either makes or mars fish farms that are just starting. Some people unknowingly buy runts and keep feeding and feeding and the fish don’t grow.

This is not always the case as there are other factors that make fish have stunted growth e.g overcrowding or poor feed.

But buying runts as fingerlings is a real possibility for anyone starting a fish farm in 2022. The best way to avoid this is to buy fish only from a reputable fish hatcher. This article here would teach you how to identify and buy the best growing fishes from any batch of fish.


8. The Administration of Agriculture

The truth friends is that there is a lot of politics going on in and around our environment that can either be a support or hindrance to starting our fish farm.

Government Agencies, Grant and Loan applications and processes, digital empowerment can be an addition or a blessing to a farm. Even your staff on the farm can be a hindrance to your business.

Me I even like to put accountability structures when doing business with family. I trust you as my brother o, but let’s just have proper record taking for accountability sake so that we can show our records to people that can give us loan or grant sef.

You gerrit ?

With this few points of mine, I hope I have been able to share my heart with you in starting a fish farm in 2022.

Feel free to ask your questions, I would answer each one.

Cheers

Akinfish

https://www.instagram.com/akinfish/?hl=en

Life is sweet and good here in Nigeria with constant power supply from solar inverter systems that generate clean, green and pollution free electricity. Check out Bright Solar Power on google as well as Otegbeye Ademola on facebook for more information and details.

#Let the sun supply all your electricity needs

As at today February 24, 2022.

Olam released new prices for their feeds.

Bluecrown

2mm 10810
3mm 10010
4mm 9760
6mm 9360
9mm 9010

Ecofloat

3mm 8460
4mm 8160
6mm 7760
9mm 7560

Note, this are distributor prices. Retail prices can be anything from 200-500 higher per bag.

Cheers guys. I wish you all the best in your venture.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITlWevRVGs[/img]

nikaShow:
Cheers guys. I wish you all the best in your venture.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITlWevRVGs[/img]

nice fishing license

Yonline:
nice fishing license

We don’t need a fishing license in Nigeria for inland farms.

Still very valid points for 2024 !

Fish ponds installed in February, 2024

Nice one

nikaShow:
Cheers guys. I wish you all the best in your venture.

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XITlWevRVGs[/img]

Thanks !

freemanq:
Nice one