By Salifu Faridat
The Association of Fish Farmers in Kwara state (AFFAK) has issued a passionate plea to the federal government, urging a significant 50% reduction in fish imports.
AFFAK emphasizes that this reduction should be accompanied by comprehensive support and mobilization of domestic fish producers to fill the resulting supply gap.
This move is considered critical to reviving the struggling fish production sector in the country, which has been adversely affected by global market trends and the absence of standardized pricing.
Brigadier Saidu Olasupo (retd), the president of AFFAK, articulated the association’s stance shortly after the election of a new executive on Sunday.
Brigadier Olasupo stated, “The next step should involve providing assistance to local producers to step in and fulfill the 50% gap, thereby rectifying the situation for the better.”
He also highlighted the urgency of regulating pricing due to prevailing high inflation rates and various international factors, including the conflict in Ukraine, which have driven up the cost of fish feed.
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The challenges faced by fish farmers are compounded by the fact that many essential inputs for the fishing industry are imported, and their prices experience daily hikes, eroding the farmers’ capital base.
The newly elected president urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to leverage the newly established Ministry of Blue Economy to enhance fish production and aquaculture in the country.
Echoing these sentiments, Alhaji Bashir Owolabi, a prominent fish feed distributor, raised concerns about the recurring financial losses inflicted by annual flooding.
He called upon the Kwara state government to prioritize proper drainage systems, particularly from Unity to Sango, to prevent a recurrence of the significant losses suffered by farmers along that route last year.
Bashir further explained that fish farming operations in Nigeria are grappling with losses due to the lack of uniformity in fish pricing.
He appealed to the government to engage in dialogue with stakeholders across the entire fish value chain to establish price regulations nationwide.
AFFAK’s plea comes at a crucial juncture, highlighting the need for concerted efforts to rejuvenate the fish production sector while ensuring a more stable and sustainable environment for domestic fish farmers.
This collective action, if heeded, has the potential to breathe new life into Nigeria’s fish farming industry.
