Scottish university boost to Rwandan fish farmers
FISH farmers in Rwanda can look forward to better levels of nutrition and an improved livelihood after a ground breaking aquaponics research project was launched in Scotland. The Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development at the University of the West of Scotland (CARUWS) said its aim was to increase productivity in the sector by 50 per cent.
If all goes to plan, the initiative will help more than 80,000 farmers, spread across 2,000 farms, reduce food shortages over a 10-year period.
CARUWS and social enterprise collaborators NjordFrey, which is based in Rwanda, were recently awarded a grant of £283,774 by the Department for International Development for the 18-month feasibility study. They hope it will also spark long-term, sustainable economic growth in a country where over a third of the population experiences food insecurity.
The project is based on a solar powered aquaponic solution, with nutrient rich water from raising fish in tanks providing a natural fertiliser for plants. The plants, in turn, help to purify the water for the fish as part of a wider crop health monitoring system. This increases growth for both fish and crops without the need for pesticides, or access to rain or farm land. Farmers involved in the pilot project will be given aquaponic starter kits, seeds, and special training.