Story by Gay Matambo
FARMERS in Chiredzi District are embracing the Presidential Community Fisheries Programme, which aligns with government efforts to enhance food security while promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Farm 64 in Newlands, Hippo Valley, harvested more than 20 000 mature fingerlings provided under the Presidential Community Fisheries Programme.
Farm owner, who is the Minister of State Security Senator Lovemore Matuke, said the aquaculture project has become a sustainable source of income, expressing gratitude to President Emmerson Mnangagwa for being his source of inspiration in terms of farming.
“We have visited the Precabe farm several times, and that’s where we learnt that we can implement what the President is doing at his farm. We constructed fish ponds, and after we harvest today, we are expecting to get eight tonnes of fish. That’s a lot of money we are talking about, considering that it took us six months for the fingerlings to develop and mature. This project will enable us to do other projects,” he said.
Apart from bolstering food security and nutrition for the area, the project has also created employment opportunities, with the farmer expecting to get close to US$60 000 after selling the mature fingerlings.
“As the Department of Fisheries, we came here and stocked 21 000 fingerlings in each pond. We have attained our target of 500 grammes of per fish,” said Fisheries Department technical officer, Mr Thomas Bester.
The Presidential Community Fisheries Programme stands as a testament to the Second Republic’s commitment to driving positive change and inclusive development under the Rural Industrialisation 8.0 as explained by the Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Deputy Minister, Honourable Davis Marapira.
“Having such projects in places like Chiredzi is an added advantage, considering the conducive weather conditions for fish farming here. Fish don’t grow well in winter when temperatures are low. When we talk of aquaculture in Zimbabwe, we prioritise such regions. As a government, we aim to build a billion-dollar economy from fisheries, and to achieve this, we are establishing fish farming projects in areas like Chiredzi. We continue to partner with farmers to ensure these projects are viable,” he said.
The Presidential Community Fisheries Programme is part of the major drivers towards the country attaining an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
