By Staff Writer
Government has identified value addition, market linkages and partnership as key to aquaculture development as it generally provides employment opportunities to citizens.
And government says investment in market linkages by creating necessary infrastructure is critical in the aquaculture sector especially for rural Fish Farmers in both Luapula and Northern Provinces.
Northern Province deputy permanent secretary Lewis Mwape says it is important to ensure that necessary market linkages are created to help support rural Fish Farmers and build capacity for those in Aquaculture ‘Off Taking’.
He said this when his provincial administration team joined their Luapula counterparts to monitor and evaluate the performance of aquaculture in the province.
Others on the tour include Provincial Fisheries Department and number of farmers.
Mr Mwape is optimistic that after the tour of selected farms in Mansa and Chembe in Luapula Province and added that the program provides cross learning between the sister provinces.
“Product Marketing is very key. Investment in marketing by creating necessary infrastructure is very important. It is important to ensure that necessary market linkages are created and ensure that our farmers have access to markets.” He added.
He also notes that partnership is one of the drivers of a successful Aquaculture development in the two provinces.
“We need to attract more Cooperating Partners to support our “taking off” as the sector in terms of finance, technological infrastructure and Developing Feed Production including technical support to our farmers. This may include Climate Change Resilience and Risk adaptation Strategies” he said.
