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Olugbemi. Adeyinka Ogunleye
3 weeks ago
Overview
Catfish farmers, sellers record business boom
Some catfish farmers and sellers in Nasarawa State have expressed satisfaction following the high patronage in their business. The farmers stated this in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Karu Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
NAN reports that research shows that catfish farming in Nigeria is experiencing high patronage, indicating a thriving market for the product. The research also shows that this popularity is driven by several factors, including catfish’s status as a readily available and affordable protein source for many Nigerians, particularly those in the lower-income households. NAN also reports that national fish demand, estimated at 3.6 million metric tonnes annually, surpasses domestic production, further fueling the catfish farming sector.
Uduak Solomon, a popular farmer in Angwan Tiv community in New Nyanya, said he started the business in 2016 as his main occupation after he retired as a security officer. Mr Solomon added that over the years, his business had flourished beyond his expectations in spite of the numerous risks that were involved in fish farming. He said that he made huge profits in the last three months in his business due to the Sallah and Easter celebrations. Mr Solomon said that the reduction in the cost of fish feed was also a major factor that has helped to boost his profit.
According to him, in 2024, a bag of Blue Crown fish feed was sold for N29,500, but now it goes for N26,200. “The price for a kilo of catfish currently ranges from N2,800 to N3,500 but last year it was sold for N4,800 per kilo. “With the reduction in price, patronage had increased tremendously,” he said.
More: https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/top-news/800137-catfish-farmers-sellers-record-business-boom.html
