For the past few years, the County Government of Uasin Gishu has been working on an ambitious program aimed at increasing fish production among its farmers.
It is an initiative that was rolled out against the backdrop of the growing local demand for fish – with a majority of what is available in the market coming outside the county.
Statistics from the County Agriculture Department show that the current demand for fish in Uasin Gishu is between 82 and 85 tons, while only 62 tons are supplied, leaving a huge deficit that forces traders to opt for imported fish to satisfy the market.
Nationally, Government statistics show that Kenya produces 200,000 metric tons of fish annually against a demand of 800,000 metric tons annually.
And as a way of bridging this deficit, Uasin Gishu County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Agriculture Samuel Yego says they have been working on providing fingerlings to farmers.
So far, at least 1.2 million fingerlings have been supplied across the county.
“We give the fingerlings to farmers who have invested in dams and ponds,” Yego said, in an interview with Uasin Gishu News.
Aside from supporting farmers, the county has also been stocking dams with fingerlings.
It is estimated that Uasin Gishu has about 300 water masses, which include dams as well as over 600 ponds.
“We equip both the dams and farmers’ ponds,” Yego said.
Since the rollout of the initiative, the CECM says, the local market has seen a rise in fish produced by farmers.
As a way of promoting locally produced fish, the county also holds a weekly fish-eating day dubbed ‘Fish Friday’ which gives room to Eldoret locals to have a taste of the fish from the local farmers.
Yego is now hoping that in the near future, farmers will be able to produce sufficient food to satisfy the local market, and maybe get to the international market through exports.
“We’re still low in production and this is why I am urging locals to embrace fish farming,” he said.