UE Communities boost fish farming

Over 1000 farmers in the Upper East Region have benefitted from aquaculture production under the Sustainable Livelihood Transformation (RESULT), making a total of GHC72,211.00 from Tilapia farming.

The RESULT was established in 2013 to enhance food security and resilience for poor men and women in the three regions of the north.

At Pusunamongo in the Talensi District, beneficiaries harvested 4.8 tons of fish and made cash after sales of GHC50.051.00, in Datoko community beneficiaries realized 1.5 tons of Tilapia with proceeds of over GHC13, 860.00 and in Bongo, GHC8,300.00 was realized.

This was made known at a workshop held in Bolgatanga organized by ACDEP and RESULT to discuss progress of activities and the way forward.

Mr Malex Alebikiya, Executive Director, ACDEP said RESULT aimed at increasing and diversifying agricultural production, build on existing sources of income and establish new income opportunities in aquaculture among others.

He noted that enhanced technologies in water use, breeding and hatchery were critical hence the project was providing the needed skills and capacity building to help farmers increase productivity.

He said the project which was being implemented in collaboration with Canadian Feed the Children (CFTC) created a basket of opportunities and indicated that interventions put in place helped women to improve their living conditions.

He said the project worked with 10,300 poor small holder farmers in 65 communities in the Upper East Region, the Bongo, Talensi, Nabdam and Kassena Nankana West District Assemblies and Kassena Nankana Municipal Assembly.

The main challenges identified by stakeholders in aquaculture included influx of foreign Tilapia in the dams, waste materials, and access to fish feed.

The training provided beneficiaries included fish feeding, marketing, numeracy, and literacy.