NW farmers schooled on fish farming

By Jean Marie Ngong Song

Some selected fish farmers in the North West region have been trained on better fish farming techniques to boost production and sustainability in the region. This was in a three day workshop that held simultaneously at the Presbyterian Church centre and CBC Nkwen from 22-24 march in Bamenda.

                The two workshops were led by the University of Ibadan, Nigeria the University of Njala, Sierra Leon.

Opening the two day workshop, Dr Pius MbuOben, Associate Professor and National Coordinator of CORAF/WECARD projects, said the project is aimed at the development of suitable integrated fish-rice-poultry production technology through participatory research, market access and quality of aquaculture products improved and the institutional strengthening and integrated capacity building of all stakeholders.

                On why the workshop for local fish farmers in the region, Dr Pius MbuOben said it was due to the failure of fish production in Cameroon, Nigeria and Sierra Leone adding that the three days of the workshop was an opportunity to promote fish, pig and poultry farming in Cameroon.

                For three days, participant’s were schooled on fish farming in integration with poultry and rice production as well as the farming of pigs and rice in the same environment. The workshop which comes after a pilot study in the University of Buea ended with a success story and manuals developed and distributed to the farmers for exploitation back in their respective farms.

                According to Dr. Pius MbuOben the two projects shall contribute enormously to sustain poverty reduction.

                “The project will improve the ability of most rural farmers to be self-employed thus reducing high rate of unemployment in the project area, boost the income levels of the project communities and assure food security and equally increase production and nutrition level of the production communities” he added.

                He added that they shall also train the farmers on how to smoke fish and provide them with smoking skills that can keep dry fish in the market for two months.

                Talking to The Median after the seminar, Susan Fri, a fish farmer in Mbengwi, Momo division, said she had acquired up-to-date knowledge in fish farming now. The project which comes to the northwest after Buea is valued FCFA 1 million US Dollars and is expected to end in Dec 31 2016