How to Start Fish Farming Business in Nigeria

Mr A

As you may have heard, fish farming business in Nigeria is a very lucrative one. Many new fish farmers often choose to start with Catfish because it very easy to cultivate and the revenue is usually very high. In this article, you will learn everything you need to know about having a Fishery in Nigeria including costs of equipment, business plan, risks, problems, facts, gross revenue and profit. I will provide a detailed PDF file shortly.

In the old days, most fish were gotten from rivers and natural ponds, and the owners of lands where these ponds were located were usually the go to guys for wholesale fish purchase. These days, artificial ponds can be constructed and water supply put in place to grow fish and make up a commercial fish farm. These ponds can be constructed literally anywhere (even your backyard), so long as there is adequate water supply. Shortly, you will learn the advantages of having a fish farm, the risks to avoid, challenges faced and the complete procedure in starting your own very fish farm

Benefits of Fish Farming

1. Products of Fishery is by far the most popular animal product in the Nigerian market. Fish sells really quickly and is relatively cheaper than meat, making it the number one choice for the average household as regards to affordability.

2. Fish is a very good source of protein. It has very low fat and is filled with omega-3 fatty acids and vitamins such as vitamin D and B2 (riboflavin). Fish is also very rich in calcium and phosphorus and is equally a great source of iron, zinc, magnesium, iodine, and potassium. Omega-3 fatty acids is extremely beneficial to the human heart, it helps keep our heart and brain healthy. Since the body does not produce Omega-3 fatty acids, the only source through which we obtain them is from our diet.

3. Fish grows really fast. In fish farming, farmers can increase the speed of fish growth by feeding them with certain feed, this helps them harvest and sell within a short period of time.

4. Fish farming is very profitable. With proper planning, good management, and a good investment, you could turn N3 million to N7 million in about 6 months (well, that is if you invest N3 million though). The cost of setting up and managing the fish farm though will primarily depend on the size of your pond, because having a big pond will mean more fish, more feed to buy, more blocks and cement to use, bigger water reservoir, and of course bigger profit.

5. Fish farms do not cause any environmental hazards. Unlike poultry farming, you can setup fish farms anywhere, including residential areas. If you have a large compound, you can easily setup a small pond in one corner of the compound or at the back of your building.

6. Fish farming (especially catfish) go very well with poultry farming as you can use the poultry drops to make feeds for the fish.

Challenges, Risks and Disadvantages of Fish Farming

1. In poultry farms, farmers have the advantage of obtaining and selling byproducts of the poultry to make extra profit; for example, eggs can be sold to consumers, and poultry dung can be sold as feed to fish farmers. There are no byproducts in fish farming.

2. Fish is very sensitive to manage and a slight mistake could result to declined growth of your fish or even death which may cause some loss of revenue.

3. Setting up fish farm is capital intensive, it is more expensive than building a poultry or snail farm. Building a fish pond requires meticulous planning and a good capital. A relatively small fish pond may require about N500,000 to setup, which of course is primarily attributed to the cost of constructing the pond and cost of labour. But if you can do all the construction work yourself, you may save a huge chunk of that. The capital though is nothing compared to the revenue, so long as you have people to see the fish to.

4. Because of cost of production, fish grown from artificial ponds are usually more expensive than fish caught by fishermen from natural rivers. Therefore, if there are a lot of fishermen supplying fish to your local market, fish in the market, you may have a bit of a challenge finding people to sell to as traders may prefer the cheaper fish.

Types and Species of Fish You Can Cultivate

Of course, you cannot just go to a random river and grab a couple young fingerlings to transfer to your new pond; who knows, you just might be growing a shark in there. Not all fish is suitable for aquaculture, some are poisonous to eat, some are dangerous to cultivate, while some others just cannot survive in fresh water. Below are some of the most popular fish types that are suitable for aquaculture.

1. Cat Fish: Even though Catfish is not the most popular fish in Nigeria, this fish species is by far the most cultivated in Nigeria. One advantage catfish has is that it is one of the easiest fish species to cultivate. This is why many new fish farmers choose catfish.

2. Tilapia: Second most popular fish in Nigeria's aquaculture industry, Tilapia is a fish specie that lives in fresh shallow water. Tilapia is very easy to cultivate and very popular in the Nigerian market as well, it reproduces very rapidly and grows fast too.

3. Mackerel (Titus): This is by far the most popular fish in the Nigerian market, but unfortunately Mackerel does not grow in fresh water so it cannot be grown from artificial ponds. Mackerel fish can only be found in sea water (salt water) and are caught in the wild by fishermen. Please, do not sprinkle salt in your pond as you will not be helping yourself.

Compiling Article.......

AB TOR

Wow. One of my uncles is managing a fish pond. No wonder he is been so succesful, am sure this is how he started it. Thankd you Mr A, I will also give a try.

Spottykay

but is is true that somenoe must change his or her ponds water

Mr Paul

Eventhough l've posted a topic just now on how to rare cat fish; but what l still need to know here is chemicals used to treat the pond when someone wants to start and process of start it: l mean, time to put in fish after treatment, 'cos l noticed sometimes ago that someone who wanted to rare cat fish waited for some time before he put in fish.
I also need more knowledge about the duration of growth: one can begin selling fish after how many months of putting in fingerlings?

Spottykay

you didnt answer my question then here's another that how many day a fish takes to grow

Mr Paul

@Spottykay, that first question of yours is rhetorical; because, you need to know that water of pond must be changed; can you live in a house for many days without sweeping its floor?
Will you feel comfortable?
That is why l warned you in one of your posts that you should try and be asking/posting relevant/reasonable questions/posts.

Spottykay

ah ah but when i didnt know because my bro said must it be changed and we dont know and i asked so is it bad for asking question or what

Mr Paul

No, it is not bad; l personally loves people asking question; but l want it reasonable.
You are free to ask questions.
But in case of another time; such question should be:
" Why is it necessary to change fish pond water often"?

Spottykay

ok thanks you're welcome

Mr Paul

You're warmly welcome.