470 IN SIAVONGA VIE FOR FISH-FARMING FUNDS

: Some organisations and individuals totalling 470 lodged in their applications for funding so that they could venture into fish-farming.

Siavonga is among 32 districts country wide that will benefit from the project funded through the CEEC.

Government with support from the African Development Bank is implementing the Zambia Aquaculture Enterprise Development Project (ZAEDP) whose objective is to contribute to economic growth as well as provide food and nutrition security.

The Daily Nation learnt at the weekend that some organisations and individuals totalling 470 had lodged in their applications for funding so that they could venture into fish-farming.

According to documents obtained, the project aims at advancing the aquaculture sub-sector as a viable business opportunity to improve the livelihoods of beneficiaries along the aquaculture value chain.

On Friday CEEC closed the period for receiving applications which was initially supposed to end on 31, May, 2019, but was extended by two weeks to allow more people to apply.

And speaking in random interviews at Siavonga Civic Centre during the opening of application box, applicants expressed happiness in the manner the CEEC was handling the process. The applicants said they were hopeful that the CEEC would soon start disbursing the money so that they could start their businesses.

Meanwhile, Siavonga Member of Parliament, Darius Mulunda, called on CEEC to speed up the process of approving the loans. He said Siavonga has the potential to produce enough fish to feed the whole country but that many locals lacked capital to venture into fish farming.

Mr Mulunda said the depletion of fish on Lake Kariba due to overfishing and use of illegal fishing methods, has put many households under pressure to survive. The MP said therefore that the aquaculture project could not come at a better time than now.