Tilapia farmers in Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region, South Ghana, have requested the government to set up a tilapia feed manufacturing factory and a fish processing plant in an attempt to boost the aquaculture business.
These aquaculturists base their request on the fact that the activity is the main economic venture in the district due to the presence of the Volta Lake, the Daily Heritage informed.
The industry calls for the district’s share of the One -District-One Factory policy.
It is estimated that the Asuogyaman District produces about 60 per cent of tilapia consumed in the country but the current exorbitant price of tilapia feed is crippling the already capital-intensive business.
Tilapia producers believe that if tilapia feeds are produced locally in the community, the price of the fish would be affordable.
Ghana is the biggest producer of tilapia in sub-Saharan Africa; however, there is still deficit in the supply chain considering the high demand in the country.
Fisheries Alliance estimates that the country consumes over 950,000 metric tons of fish annually and that it imported USD 135 million worth of fish in 2016 to meet the demand.
The aquaculture sector provides over 50,000.00 jobs in Ghana. However, despite the availability of the Volta Lake for aquaculture activities, young people in the Asuogyaman District are still struggling to get jobs due to the lack of funding to tap the opportunities in aquaculture to earn a living.
