How To Start Profitable Fish Farming In Nigeria

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Business Classroom for Africans (Since 2007)

Fish Farming in Nigeria (Post + Free practical training on our farm)

March 7, 2015 by Steve Olorun-Ni

 
Image credit; torange.biz
Fish farming is an act of rearing fish for commercial purpose in Nigeria. This involves building the earthen, tarpaulin or concrete pond, fertilizing the pond, stocking the fingernails in good water and feeding the Mackerel, Tilapia or catfish till market size.
Why there are thousands of fish species all around the globe, only very few of them are viable for commercial fish farming.
Dear friend, you’re welcome to the Africa Business Classroom (ABC).
As you`re reading this post today, I will be sharing with you a lot of things you want to know about how to start profitable fish farming in Nigeria.
And if after reading this post you have some questions about fish farming business in Nigeria, you can call our company (on the phone number I’ll give you soon).
I will also tell you how you can get the opportunity to visit our associate fish farm near you and go through our FREE practical training
Some of you reading this might know me before.
I started my first business before I was a boy of 15. Today I run my company in Lagos and operate in different states of Nigeria.

More so, if you really want to start your own fish farming in Nigeria, we can help you by taking you through a Free practical fish farming training (on our associate farm near you).
We can give you the opportunity to visit our associates’ fish farm near you (for free).
Yes, we have more than 20 associates’ fish farm in many states of Nigeria and we can give you the opportunity to visit and learn fish farming, practically on the farm.
We can also help you by giving you the opportunity to use our experienced fish farmers to set-up your own profitable fish business in Nigeria.
This means that you can invite our experienced fish farmers to come and work with you (at anywhere in Nigeria), to help you set-up your own fish business, professionally, so that you won’t make any mistake in your fish business.
I’ll soon give you our company’s phone numbers.
Continue reading…
As Nigeria grows massively in population and government placing restrictions on importation of more and more agricultural products, paying attention to the agriculture business is our next gold.
Fish farming is one of the various business opportunities any business-minded Nigerian could look into.
Please forgive me as I will assume you don`t know anything about fishery before.
Fish Farming in Nigeria; Background Understanding
Fish farming is known as pisciculture in the academic world.
It`s major form of aquaculture, farming of aquatic organisms like fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. (Forgive me please, if you hate all these academic terminologies)
Fish farming involves raising fish commercially in ponds, tanks or enclosures.
There are hundreds of species of fish among which are; sea trout, cyprinids, pangas catfish, freshwater fishes, silver seabream, common carp, catla, greasy grouper, bighead carp, Nile tilapia, grass carp (who knows, maybe there are thousands more?).
But most of them are not suitable for fish farming in Nigeria, either because of their nature or because of the low demand in the fish market or the profitability of their species.
That’s why the most common fish species fish farmers grow for commercial purpose are carp, salmon, tilapia and catfish (while the last two, catfish and tilapia is the most common species in Nigeria fish farming industry)
Fish can be grown in two ways: extensive aquaculture where fish grow under natural water (i.e. river or stream).
Then, intensive aquaculture where fish are fed with external food supply… this is the area we`re focusing on in this tutorial because this is what it means to get involve in fish farming in Nigeria.
(Please Note; After you have read everything in this post, kindly scroll back and Click Here to see how you can go through our Free practical fish farming training in any of our associates’ fish farms near you or let our experienced farmers work with you)
What Are The Cost $ Materials Needed to Start Fish Farming in Nigeria?
I know you`re interested in knowing about this, but I’m sad there is no straight answer, and estimate is even risky.
Why?
First, because situations and environments are differ.
Some people will be reading this tutorial from Lagos, others from Imo, Ekiti, Abuja, Kano etc. and countries outside Nigeria.
How do you expect the cost of land to build pond (for example) in Lagos to be the same with that of Ekiti?
How do you expect the cost of labour in Imo to be the same with the cost of labour in Kano?
Even some other things (like fish feeds) you might expect to be of the same price are not, even in the same city.
Second reason why it may be foolish to state that you need xxx naira to start fish farming business is because I don`t know when you`re going to be reading this tutorial.
Imagine this situation.
I was online earlier today to read about this very topic and I saw a particular post where the author stated (to the last kobo) how much you will need to start fish farming business in Nigeria.
When I looked at the date of that post, it was written in the year 2013.
Now you can see. If anybody tells you that the price of a block (to construct concrete fish pond in Nigeria) is #100 and he was actually talking about 2013, if you base your estimate on that, you will make a wrong plan.
That`s why I will not tell you that you need xxx naira, instead, I will try and show you what and what you`ll need.
(The only help we can do is to help you to write a current cost analyses, which will match up with the current fish market situation, as at today. You can ask us for the current estimate HERE)
How to Start a Profitable Fish Farming in Nigeria
[img=723.8x1023.8]https://www.africabusinessclassroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/Catfish.jpg[/img]Image credit; torange.biz

• Get a good location for your farm
  
  
• Get a good source of water
  
  
• Choose the appropriate fish pond
  
  
• Decide the right species of fish for you
  
  
• Get healthy fingernails or juveniles
  
  
• Understand fish feeds & feeding
  
  
• Get good and practical fish farming training
  
  
• Start Marketing your fish before they grow-up
  
  
• Be business minded
  
  

Let’s get into details;

1. A Good Location for your fish farm. You need to first decide whether you’re starting your fish business small or going big.If you’re starting small, you may decide to start at your background but if you’re going big, you may need to buy or rent one or few fish ponds outside your home.
   
   
2.  Good source of water for your fish.
   
   

How important is water to a fish? Just as oxygen is important to you.
Take a fish out of water and it becomes helpless and dying.
Put it in a bad water and you`re affecting its growth and productivity (though “bad” water varies, depending on the kind of fish we are talking about. Some fish live in rough water while others cannot).
My point here is, you`ll need good source of water for your fish.
How much will the water be?
Here is a question you alone can answer. I know a man few years ago who had his fish farm at the back of his house.
He can easily use the well of his house to satisfy these few fish, how can a man with huge earthen fish pond do this?
The size of your intending fish farm determines the quantity of water needed.
If you`re starting small, you may be comfortable with a nearby well.
If however you`re starting fish farming in Nigeria as a big venture, then, you`ll need a strong well or bore hole and water storage tank.
3 .Pond or plastic thank for housing.
I compared water with oxygen in my above analogy. Here, I’m talking about housing your fish.
Just like you, they need a comfortable place to live.
The more natural and comfortable their pond is, the better for them.
There are two popular fish housing system… backyard plastic tank or pond.
Plastic tank may be good for you if you`re just starting fish farming in Nigeria.
This small scale medium will help you to be familiar with the nature of the fishery business, before you`ll extend your market reach.
Fish pond sizes are also different.
Fish ponds are of various sizes and their cost is vary, depending on your environment and need.
What should you do?
Move out. Visit fish farms around you. Visit fish feeds seller. Visit some experienced break-layers. Ask questions. Ask questions. Ask questions.
The reason why I advise you to go out this way is because, these people will give you the best advice that can be useful to you in that environment, since they are in your vicinity.
If you can’t do this, you can contact us so that we’ll use experienced farmers to help you on this. Click Here to get to our fish farm near you.
After we have provided oxygen and house for our dear fish, what next?

1. Food. Fish Feeds.
   
   

Plants are able to utilize sunlight and simple nutrients to produce new organic material through photosynthesis.
Animal (i.e. fish) cannot do this. That`s why animals need to feed on organic materials such as plants, other animals, or prepared food that contains plants or/and animals.
When feeding our children (sorry, fish. Lol) both quality and quantity has to be taken care of.
Feed them well and with quality fish feed.
There are three means of food for your fish.

• Natural food. This is found naturally in the pond. This include; detritus, bacteria, plankton, worms, insects, snails, aquatic plants and fish (yes, fish eat fish if they`re hungry).
  
  
• Supplementary feed. This usually include cheap materials locally available such as terrestrial plants, kitchen wastes or agricultural by-products. Supplementary feed may be good, but they are not for serious fish farmer (except if he includes the other types of feeds). Many people who are into fish farming in Nigeria are using supplementary feeds. some to their profit, others to their loss.
  
  
• Complete feed. This is a carefully made fish feed. They`re usually of good ingredient and nutrients, made by the experts who understand the perfect formula for the fish at a different stage.
  
• [img=683.8x749.8]https://www.wealthresult.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Catfish-Farming-Business-e1454520185323.jpg[/img]
  What You Need To Get Started In Fish Farming
  1. Secure a Land – Any location is good since fish doesn’t cause any environmental disturbance. Look for land where you can get it cheap and buy. Depending on the capacity you wants to operate on, half plot of land is just good enough for average fish farm.
  However, you may go for something bigger like full plot or two if you can afford it probably for convenience sake. If you already have a compound with leftover space you thing can accommodate two or three ponds, you may use it.
  2. Construct Ponds – You need to engage the service of expert pond construction engineer or you go to another fish farm to get the specification and construction requirements. The plumbing work must be properly done to ensure proper drainage.
  
  Example of local fish ponds in Nigeria
  3. Dig a Borehole – Adequate water supply is the lifeblood of fish farm and lack of it may result to disaster because water need to be changed on regular interval. Naturally available sources of water such as borehole and river water is the most suitable. Rain water and tap water from chemically treated source is not recommended for fish cultivation.
  4. Overhead Tank – This is the water reservoir from which water is supplied to your ponds. This tank has to be connected to your ponds through plumbing system to make it convenient for water to flow into your ponds when needed.
  5. Juvenile Fish – Get your juvenile from another farm that specializes in supplying it. You need to go for the high yield specie of catfish or tilapia and make sure you are getting it from a healthy farm.
  6. Get Training – Not the kind of training you get from one day seminars; you need to get attached to a fish farm for proper apprenticeship. For you to properly learn this trade, you need at least two months training on this.
  Remember that your investment is at stake, trial and error is not good in business except you have unlimited funds to experiment with.
  Feasibility Study For Standard Fish Farming
  SEE ALSO: Feasibility Study On Poultry Farming For Beginners
  This feasibility study prepared for a catfish farm capacity of 10,000 and fingerlings of high breed catfish where to be stocked. The expenses from pond construction to marketing is considered. The farm is to have 10 concrete ponds of flow through system and each pond is to contains 1,000 stocked catfish.
  Cost of constructing each pond is as follows.
  Each pond is 3m x 2.5m by 1.4m, each pond consumes 210 blocks and each bag of cement for 30 blocks. Hence 210 x 10 = 2,100 blocks. 2,100/30 = 70 bags of cement needed. 2000 x 70 = 140,000 naira.
  4trips of sand used =7,000×4 = N28,000
  2trips of gravel = 32,000x 2 = N64,00
  Cost of labour = N150,00
  Cost of plumbing (inlet and outlet facility) = N100,000.
  Cost of bore hole = N150,000.
  Cost of treatment = N50,000.
  Cost of high breed fingerlings 30×10,000 = N300,000.
  Cost of feeding from day one to maturity stage is 200 bags of foreign feed = N1,000,000.
  After the average weight of the fish was 1.7kg. And it was sold at 800 naira each. The output was 800×9800 fishes, due to 200 mortality. 800 x 9800 = N7,840,000.
  Input is N3.25’million. The profit is N4.59 million after six months of culture. Following this cost analysis, you can easily invest N3 million and expect good turnover within six months of harvest and sell.
  There is no doubt that fish farming is among the list of lucrative businesses in Nigeria. You need to get it right by drawing complete business plan and following it to the later. You need to apply good management skill and follow the acceptable standard. If you do all these, you are sure to make good profit from your fish farming business in Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, South Africa or where else you choose t set it up.
  
  
  https://www.wealthresult.com/agriculture...ng-nigeria, https://www.africabusinessclassroom.com/...ake-money/