State allocates Sh128m in grants to support fish farmers in 15 counties

MOSES WEKESA-KNA

The Government has issued a total of Sh128 million in grants to fish farmers in 15 counties under the Aqua culture Business Development Programme (ABDP).

ABDP is a program jointly funded by the Government of Kenya and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) to support small holder farmers’ sustainability and profitability in fish farming.

The grants will benefit Smallholder Aquaculture Groups (SAGs), which include both women’s and youth groups, Aquaculture Support Enterprises (ASEs), and Aquaculture Field Schools (AFSs).

ABDP has been sup porting fish farmers in Kenya for several years, with the current grant set to support enterprises across the value chain, including production, pond digging, fish feed making, value addition, and transportation.

The Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy, and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Joho, presided over the issuance of the grant cheques. Kakamega County received a grant of Sh18,170,000, with over 2,944 farmers set to benefit.

Joho disclosed that since its inception, ABDP has invested over Sh257 million in Kakamega county which has been used to provide pond liners, predator kits of about Sh188 million, construction of Kakamega fresh fish market at a cost of Sh10 million, issuance of fingerlings at a cost of Sh18 million and supplied f ish feeds at a cost of about Sh41 million.

“What we are launching today is a Sh128 million grant, we are anticipating we will have around Sh329 million of grants in phase 2, so continue to design programmes and keep sending proposals so that we can convince IFAD that these programmes are making impact and they are changing lives,” he explained.

The CS noted that the government has ear marked huge investment in the blue economy to transform how fisher folk do their business and in turn transform the lives of Kenyans.

“People have started to appreciate aquaculture, for me it is critical because this is our new frontier, it is not only about food se curity, it is very critical in job creation and wealth creation,” he disclosed.

The CS said the gov ernment is spending Sh1. 6billion to build landing sites in different areas in all the Lake counties in cluding the coastal region which will have ice mak ing machines and cooling systems.

“We are building 10 fish markets in 10 counties at the cost of Sh70 million, we want people to pro duce more, so we have to create a market base that is adequate to the produc tion,” he added.

He also noted that the ABDP programme will in vest around Sh100million in fingerling production to support farmers who are struggling to get high quality fingerlings.

“We are creating a means of alternative live lihood in the lake region, this programme has Sh359 million that will be used to procure cages for our brothers in the lake region. We give them cages, we give them fingerlings and then we try and sup port them on fish feeding programmes for sustaina bility,” he explained.

“We are continuing to roll out our programme on pond liners, predator nets which are catered for with Sh1.8billion investment. We will ensure it reaches the right people, timely and it does what it is sup posed to do,” he noted.

Host governor Fer nandes Barasa welcomed the grants to fish farmers noting that the ABDP pro gramme has been instru mental in reinventing fish farming in the region.