Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre

16/07/2023

06/04/2023

Nice News pleasing to hear

The Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre will this month end of April harvest some of the fish and sell to the public. This is an opportunity to the fish vendors to the general public to taste the fresh and tasty fish from the centre.

06/04/2023

Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre has a lot of expertise aimed at boosting the Aquaculture industry.

The purpose of the Centre concerns conducting research on three basic areas in aquaculture practices in Malawi whose findings are disseminated to aquaculture farmers so that they improve on fish farming practice and develop social economically in the course.

The areas Include:

1. Fish Breeding Research Activities: Here, the institution is interested in finding out combinations that can produce good quantities of seed, technically known as fingerings and it also involves finding out suitable ratios of male and female fish species for successful breeding.

2. Fish Grow Out: Under this section, the institution is concerned with growing fingerlings to larger sizes called table sized fish or marketable size. It also looks at the stocking densities and feeding regime rates.

3. Feed Development: Here, the department strives to find best feed with good feed convention rate (FCR) that farmers can be using to feed their fish for best quality products and provision.

28/03/2023

As one way of boosting Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre marketing strategy, We embarked on an awareness campaign where we engaged with fish vendors at Mzuzu main market.

One of the main objectives for the initiative was to enlighten the fish vendors and encourage them to also develop a tendency of purchasing fresh fish at Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre rather than solely relying on buying fish captured from the lake.

The traders were also highlighted on the future plans the institution has to start selling fish weekly starting from the month of August 2023. This development will be helpful to the fish vendors as they will easily access fish for their business.

Meanwhile, the institution wishes to informs its valued customers that it will start harvesting fish in May, 2023.

15/03/2023

Manager for Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre Mr. David Mbamba has recommended the government to invest more in aquaculture. He said this in an interview where he articulated that government authorities should take the same strategy as the way it is with maize production by subsidizing aquaculture farm inputs.

In his sentiments, he alluded to the fact that government should support aquaculture farmers by introducing subsidy in aquaculture which can benefit fish farmers in terms of pond construction and feed provision thereby boosting the economy of the country.

“I would like the government to take the same approach with the way it is with maize production as other aquaculture farmers cannot manage on their own so that they are able to produce adequate harvests.” Said Mbamba.

He further highlighted on the fact that fish contributes a lot as the source of cheap animal protein in Malawi.

“About 70 % of proteins that people consume in the country comes from fish, it is therefore important that government should invest a lot in aquaculture and boost fish production.”

Meanwhile, the 2021 Annual Economic report (AER) Fisheries sector contribution stipulates that fish continues to be the main source of animal protein in the country as It contributes over 70 % of the dietary animal protein intake of Malawians and 40 % of the total protein supply.

09/03/2023

There is finally some light at the end of the tunnel for some Aquaculture Cooperatives in the country as their expectations to benefit from Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and Watershed Management SFAD – WM Project is nearing to fulfil amid the promising efforts done by stakeholders on the initiative.

This materialised following some series of visits SFAD WM project task force team once more embarked on across Malawi, this time around to confirm with successful cooperatives that will be offered the said eight 3 tonner trucks (7 refrigerated and 1 none refrigerated) worth MK 50 Million each on a five year term loan agreement in a bid to promote their transportation logistics and economic sustainability.

The initiative which saw the task force holding interface meetings with Kavumu Fisheries cooperative at Chilumba in Karonga, Ndundundu and Kamuzu View cooperatives in Mzuzu respectively was meant to deliberate and agree on terms and conditions that are embedded within the loan contracts that are needed to be signed by these successful associations before officially handing them over with the vehicles as a way of achieving smooth coordination.

28/02/2023

There is hope that transportation woes faced by Aquaculture Cooperatives will soon be history in the northern region. This comes in following an interface meeting that was held by authorities from Fisheries department under Sustainable Fisheries and Aquaculture Development – Water Shed Management (SFAD – WSM) project at Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre premisses.

The agenda that took centre stage during the meeting deliberations was to highlight Aquaculture Cooperatives in Mzuzu on the distribution of 7 refrigerated and 1 nonrefrigerated 3 tonner trucks worth MK 50 Million each of which the department of Fisheries is willing to offer on loan under the project to active and successful cooperatives upon assessing their eligibility prior to fulfilling the project requirements.

Addressing the audience during the convergence, SFAD – WSM project coordinator Dr. Robert Kafakoma said that the Department of Fisheries embarked on the initiative of visiting Aquaculture cooperatives across the country in order to make some follow ups and appreciating the progress made so far within 38 registered cooperatives and tracing those that are active and mapping the way forward on how best to assist them.

“The aim of this meeting was to discuss on various issues, more especially on the eight 3 tonner vehicles that are available under this project, it has to be noted that they will not be given for free but on loan basis to cooperatives that will prove the capacity of paying back the money per monthly instalments up to the required period.”

“Our aim is to promote Aquaculture in Malawi so that we should also become a fish exporting nation to other countries like Mozambique, Zambia and Tanzania. It is thus our wish that we see fish famers progressing in Malawi.” Explained Dr. Kafakoma.

The meeting saw delegates from the Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Ministry of Local government, Ministry of Youths and Sports development, Luanar Aquaculture department, Ndundundu and Kamuzu View Aquaculture cooperatives coming together and sharing different views on the matter.

SFAD – WSM project is funded by African Development Bank Group and African Development Fund.

25/02/2023

.com

Authorities at Nkhata-bay Fisheries department which is under the Ministry of Natural Resources have called upon fishermen to embrace fish farming as one

23/02/2023

The authorities at Nkhata-bay Fisheries department which is under the Ministry of Natural Resources has called upon fishermen to embrace fish farming as one way of curbing overfishing which is highly contributing to the dwindling population of various fish species in Lake Malawi.

The development transpired in an interview with officers at Nkhata-Bay district Fisheries Office under Capture fisheries affairs who lamented over current decreasing numbers of fish catches, attributing the setback development to the use of an authorized gears and technological advancements that are fuelling rampant excessive capturing of fish in the lake.

Expressing her concern over the matter, Nkhata-Bay Fisheries Extension officer Joy Ng’ambi said there has been a decline in the quantity of fish being currently captured in lake Malawi which stands at 32 thousand metric tonnes annually, as compared to five years ago where they used to have 55 thousand Metric tonnes of fish which is a worrisome situation.

Meanwhile she emphasized on the need for fishermen to change their mind set towards their over dependence on fish from the lake on the right hand and encouraged them to consider venturing into aquaculture.



-Bay

22/02/2023

Mrs Chavula ventured into Aquaculture in 2003 with a 10 x 10 Fish pond. She currently owns seven fish ponds which covers 7735 m2 of land.

She breeds Rendallie, Shirenus and Cat Fish species on her farm. According to her, she is able to gain MK 4 Million per pond harvest.

The 50 year old Chavula has been able to build a house, educate her children, support her family and buy other farm inputs on her farm with the earnings she makes.

She alluded to the fact that Aquaculture is more profitable compared to any other farming business.

22/02/2023

Recently, the Department of Fisheries, Mzuzu Aquaculture Centre visited Hangere Aquaculture Farm situated in Lusangazi of T/A Kampingo Sibande in Mzimba which is owned by a female farmer Mrs Laness Chavula.

In the picture, she explains more about her aquaculture business to one of the officials during the tour.