Farm Africa’s Kenya market-led aquaculture programme has mapped out how the Kenyan government can build a sustainable and inclusive aquaculture sector.
The international non-governmental organisation’s report, Aquaculture for Jobs, Incomes and Food Security, reveals alarmingly low levels of fish production in Kenya with the supply gap increasing from 50,000 mT to 75,000 mT by 2030 at current rates of consumption. If rates grow in line with other African countries, the gap will rise to 436,000 mT.
To mitigate this, Farm Africa recommends lowering the cost of raw materials, honing the skills of farmers and supporting feed millers to produce affordable, high-quality feed. Also featuring prominently in the report is a review of the East African Community Common External Tariff (EACCET) on imported Chinese fish.
“Increasing the EACCET for imported tilapia is necessary to boost the production of Kenyan farmers as they are currently unable to compete with the subsidised cheap imported that have flooded the market,” said Arnoud Meijberg, Farm Africa’s team leader KMAP.
The report also proposes eliminating the EAC import duty and fisheries levy on imported feed and aquaculture equipment and increasing production in colder areas through the selective breeding of tilapia strains suitable for such regions.
If the report’s recommendations are adopted, Farm Africa predicts a reduction in cost of production per kg of almost 6 per cent. If training can be put in place, fish farmers’ productivity will rise by 21 per cent leading to a further 12.6 per cent drop in cost.
