1 000 benefit from fisheries projects
MORE than 1 000 people in Mashonaland Central province have so far benefited from fisheries projects that are being run by Government and Rural Agriculture Development Company (RADCO).
The initiative is part of the Presidential Community Fisheries Programme.
Mr Tim Kilner, co-owner of RADCO, is working with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development to transform the lives of communities in the province.
The company reportedly started working with Government under the then Command Fisheries Programme.
“This programme is designed to utilise the over 10 000 dams across the country for the benefit of rural communities. A lot of research was done, starting with Dawmill, Mapunga and Kambira dams near Bindura here in Mashonaland Central,” said Mr Kilner.
“We supplied 10 000 fingerlings to each dam and went back to monitor the progress. What we saw was beyond our expectations. We anticipated that each dam would provide fish for 25 families, but we realised that more than 1 000 people were benefiting.”
The high temperatures currently being experienced across the country bode well for the RADCO fisheries programmes, whose daily production rate has risen from between 20 000 and 45 000 to 48 000 fish.
Fingerlings have since been supplied to smallholder farmers across the province.
“We provided fingerlings for the national launch of the Presidential Community Fisheries Programme at Muchekeranwa Dam in 2021.
We then supplied Mwenje Dam in Glendale with fingerlings under the First Lady Dr Auxillia Mnangagwa’s programme.
“Also, we provided fingerlings, bamboo and banana plants for Tabex Dam in Mt Darwin and Gulliver Dam in Mvurwi. We are now collaborating with women’s and youth groups that want to grow the community fisheries programme to cage fish farming using the same dams,” he said.
The programme, he added, is creating employment, boosting food security at household level and helping counter the effects of climate change.
“There are approximately about 700 dams in Mashonaland Central.
“This makes fish production a game changer in offsetting the effects of climate change and bringing tangible benefits to people of the province.
“We believe our company is the second-largest fish breeder in Zimbabwe and we are continuing to create jobs and augment food security at the household level through fish.”