BADAGRY – The Fisheries Association of Nigeria, has urged the Federal Government to improve electricity supply in the country to reduce high cost of fish feeds.
The Vice Chairman of the association, Mr Hakeem Bombata, made the appeal on Friday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry, Lagos State.
Bombata explained that the machines used in producing fish feeds were heavy equipment that only steady electricity supply would power machines.
“The major challenge for fish farmers is the high cost of fish feeds and the only solution to that is if the federal government can supply constant electricity.
“The machines used in producing fish feeds run at 33Kvs and is only PHCN that can supply that.
“The use of generators could cause damage to the machines.
“Those machines have to be up and running for 24 hours; it should be running on all day, the best way to achieve that is if there is constant electricity supply in the country.
“With constant electricity supply in the country the local feed mills would be able to produce feeds needed by farmers in the country and this will reduce importation of fish feed. [eap_ad_1] “In the long run there would reduction in the cost of fish feed in the country,” he said.
Bombata, who is also the Provost, College of Agriculture, Lagos State University, Epe Campus, noted that imported fish feeds were not suitable for the tropical environment of the country.
He added that if Nigeria starts producing its own fish feed regularly, it would reduce the cost of fish, import duties and packaging, among other benefits.
“The fish that are imported to the country are not really meant for the tropical nature and environment of Nigeria, they are basically European based formulation.
“The nature of Nigeria’s environment does not require the fish to have too much of protein and fat, but that can be corrected as soon as we start our producing our feeds.
“The right ingredients would be used in making the fish feed and the end product that are suitable to our environment.
“With this, we wouldn’t have to pay excess for fish cost, import duties, packaging, among others.
“These are part of the reasons that fish feeds are expensive and out of reach of small-scale fish farmers,” he explained.
Bombata, however, commended the federal government for improving aqua culture in the country. (NAN)
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