Johanne Marange ventures into fish farming

Published: 03 May 2019
Command Agriculture has seen Johanne Marange Apostolic Church in Manicaland venturing into a thriving fish farming project to boost nutrition, rural economic development and income generation.

Speaking during a tour of Marange Fish Ponds yesterday, project manager Mr Philip Madziro said the Government-initiated programme has been a boon for food security and self-sufficient growth.

"We are grateful to Government for the support that has been rendered to us through Command Agriculture.

"They have assisted us to achieve our main goal of supporting President Mnangagwa's vision, which entails that we should be self-sustainable as a country and we want this project to benefit people in Marange District," he said.

Mr Madziro said they have 6 000 fish, of which 2 000 are fingerlings which came from Kariba and 4 000 that are now at early maturity stage. "At our fish pond, we have 6 000 fingerlings and we normally harvest these fish after three months.

"We sell our fish to both individuals and shops, and the returns are good as we realise meaningful income to send our children to school and this boosts employment in our area," he said.

He added that fish farming is the fastest growing food-producing sector and the project had gone a long way in helping the community to survive following droughts that normally hit Marange District.

"We are appreciative to Command Agriculture for assisting us in coming up with such sustainable projects. Our families are now food-secure all year round despite receiving erratic rains in this part of the country.

"Our target next season is to reach 75 000 fish, which produce 50 tonnes," he said.

Mr Madziro said fish farming requires the control of fish densities and water quality in maintaining a good balance that ensures oxygen levels do not fluctuate. Marange is in Region V, a drought-prone area and many people are in need of food due to El Nino effects.
- the herald
Tags: Marange, Fish, Farming,

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