Ghana has a wide variety of fish, but many people love catfish for its juicy, tender, and delicious meat. Also, this fish is easy to farm even in small fish farms, and even catfish farming can be organized at home. Catfish are delicious, easy to keep, and grow fast enough. The biology of catfish allows them to survive without water for up to two days. Catfish farming is increasingly becoming an attractive form of agriculture for many Ghanaians, especially young people, due to the large market for catfish, the relative ease of farming, and government funding.
Fish aquaculture is a productive agricultural practice and a significant food source. Before beginning fish farming, it is crucial for fish farmers to understand the fundamentals of fish farming. Therefore, before establishing your fish farm, there are a few important factors to take into account. These will help in preventing some of the mistakes you might make now and in the future with your fish farming.
If you need to start a fish farm, the market is the main consideration. Also, it works on almost all farms. You may be wondering who and where your items will be sold if you are making a profit and continuing to operate, and when you are not thinking about selling your fish after harvest.
Any location is good since fish doesn’t cause any environmental disturbance. Look for land where you can get it cheap and buy. Depending on the capacity you wants to operate on, half plot of land is just good enough for average fish farm. However, you may go for something bigger like full plot or two if you can afford it probably for convenience sake. If you already have a compound with leftover space you thing can accommodate two or three ponds, you may use it.
The planned area of the farm is extremely critical. The area affects several different variables, such as lake type and water source. Choose an area that fits the type of fish farm you want to install. You must consider several different variables to find a reasonable area for your fish farm. If you are considering finding a lake, then you will need an area with the right soil type and fairly flexible water.
You can’t raise fish without water. Therefore, high-quality water should be one of the basic resources to pay special attention to when starting a fish farm. Also, your fish farm and work shouldn’t cause problems for other water use, especially when the water is used by others.
You need to engage the service of expert pond construction engineer or you go to another fish farm to get the specification and construction requirements. The plumbing work must be properly done to ensure proper drainage.
Adequate water supply is the lifeblood of fish farm and lack of it may result to disaster because water need to be changed on regular interval. Naturally available sources of water such as borehole and river water is the most suitable. Rain water and tap water from chemically treated source is not recommended for fish cultivation.
This is the water reservoir from which water is supplied to your ponds. This tank has to be connected to your ponds through plumbing system to make it convenient for water to flow into your ponds when needed.
Get your juveniles from another farm that specializes in juveniles, not the low quality juveniles on the market. You need to choose and make sure to get it from a healthy farm. Also, you may want to consider the type of fish you need to farm, such as high-yielding catfish or tilapia
Not the kind of training you get from a one-day workshop; you need to join a fish farm to gain hands-on experience. In order for you to learn the craft properly, you will need at least three months of training. Remember, your investment is at risk and unless you have unlimited funds to experiment with, you will lose badly.