More than 100 farmers from Gatanga in Murang’a have received 50,000 tilapia fingerlings to boost food security.
Each of the farmers got at least 500 fingerlings from the Ministry of Fisheries in partnership with the NG-CDF office.
The government has sunk 500 water pans for irrigation purposes in the semi-arid Ithanga area that has suffered drought for decades. The pans have enabled farmers to engage in irrigation and fish farming.
According to the officer in charge of fisheries in the area David Waweru, the project is part of the government’s agenda to ensure all Kenyans are food secure.
The department, he noted, will offer technical assistance to farmers on fish rearing to ensure the project is successful.
“The hot weather in this area is favourable and we know the fish will do well,” Waweru said, noting that the fish is expected to mature in eight months.
Waweru said the government will also distribute an extra 500,000 fingerlings to public dams in the constituency in the second phase of the project.
The officer said demand for fish is high and that the shortage in the market is filled with cheap fish imports from China. He said local farmers will take advantage of the high demand and make extra returns while getting a balanced diet.
Due to lack of water, the area missed out on fish ponds that were implemented by the government through the Economic Stimulus Programme.
“But with the water pans available, these farmers have finally been incorporated into the programme,” he said.
Area MP Nduati Ngugi said once the fish mature, they will provide the much needed proteins for locals to supplement their diet.
A refrigeration machine will be provided that will make it possible for farmers to harvest and store their fish before they are marketed.
“We want our people to be able to produce enough fish for their domestic consumption and sale to supplement their income,” the MP said.
He appealed to residents of the Central region to embrace fish eating which he said is healthy.
Speaking at Kaguku area while issuing the fingerlings to farmers, the MP lauded the government for putting measures in place to empower locals by enabling them to engage in commercial farming.
He said he is in consultation with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation to have 200 more water pans sunk for farmers and stocked with fish fingerlings.
“We are now asking youths to go back to farms and take advantage of the resources being provided by the government to change their lives,” he said.
Ithanga area is known for its high levels of poverty and has been dependent on relief food for decades.
Joseph Mutuku said he will no longer have to buy beef for his family and that he has plans to source more fingerlings as his water pan can accommodate much more.
“This project has changed my life as I am now able to comfortably feed my family and make a living as compared to before when making money was a struggle,” he added.
Pauline Wangari said her water pan was dug in February just before the Covid-19 pandemic set in and has enabled her to feed her children.
With the fish keeping programme, Wangari said her family’s life is headed for better days with more money to cater for their needs.