Figure 3: a) Fisheries unit pond b) fish drier c) indigenous chickens
The fisheries unit has a total of 17 ponds of with which 10 needs resuscitation. Resuscitation will be in the form of reducing vertical loss of water which makes them unusable at the moment. In September 2009 two ponds were initially stocked with red breasted bream at a rate of 3 fingerlings/m2 from Lake Kyle. There are two breeding ponds for fry and fingerling production. The drier in figure above uses firewood to dry fish through smoking. The technology is most suitable to smallholder farmers who largely depend on wood as a source of energy. The drying of fish has an important component of value addition. Manure from the indigenous chickens and cattle forms an important feed base for the fish.
Achievements
- Supply of fish fingerlings to the local farmers at affordable prices
Research
- Integrating fish farming into the prevailing agro ecosystems, socioeconomic conditions and traditional farming systems of Zimbabwe”. The objectives of the project were to facilitate the integration of fish farming into the existing farming systems of Zimbabwe.
- Use of brewery waste in fish production
- Monitoring and evaluation of the productivity of indigenous chickens