Businessprove c: How to start a fish farm.

Fish Farming is another very lucrative venture in Nigeria especially if you can market or at least have a very good marketing team. Fish farming requires a lot of technicalities and that means you may need to be trained for some time.

This is one of the business I recommend to persons who have money ie capital. The return of investment is more than 60% as it consumes less feed than poultry farming.

Fish farming requires greater amount of capital to start compared to poultry and snail farming. If in case you intend to start big, I recommend that you write a good business plan for your business.

Your feasibility analysis and business plan will include all technical analysis (specie selection, water quality, topography etc), conceptual design, market analysis and operating cost, profitability etc.

I will try as much as possible to give you a detailed description of what you need to do and possibly the cost you may require , but that depends on your location and the size. Materials cost differently in different parts of Nigeria.

- Choose your specie – even though this will be taken care of in your feasibility studies, the most trained fishes in Nigeria are tilapia and catfish. These two species are very easy to cultivate and are the best sold fishes in Nigeria aside mackerel fish. Now you need to choose from between the two.

- Secure your farm – your farm can be in almost any location as fishes does not constitute nuisance in the society. Fishes don’t smell. It can be trained even in your house, in your estate. Poultry cannot be done that way. One plot can do it (100 x 50) for a very small scale. Also consider the drainage system of the place you intend to situate your farm.

- Build your ponds – Building your ponds must require an expert or an experienced fish farmer who would provide you with the accurate specifications for building your pond. Follow your business plan. One pond that can contain like 1000 finger lings may cost

required block = 250 blocks

Cements = (30 blocks for 1 bag) 9 bags

Cost of plumbing = Depends on the plumber

- Sink a Borehole – Fishes live on water. Water is your most important asset in this business. Buying water will not work as you will be changing your water regularly. Tap water that comes from government borehole is not allowed as they may have been treated with chemicals. Your best source of water would be from the river or from the borehole since they are natural.

Borehole costs = N 150, 000.00 depending on the depth or the location.

Overhead tank – your tank will be connected to the ponds by a plumber. Your tank will help reserve water.

Get trained practically for at least one month . I always recommend this as i know how important this is. Whatever may need to do to get your fish farm right, do it.

Get your fingerlings – ensure you get healthy fingerlings from a reputable farm. You can get a high yield juvenile catfish or tilapia, which may cost more.