Nyeri: A total of 42 aquaculture groups in Nyeri County are set to benefit from a Sh8.12 million grant from the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD). The funding aims to bolster the aquaculture industry in the region, supporting efforts to increase production and market access for fish farmers.
According to Kenya News Agency, the grant is part of a larger Sh124 million funding package announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, Hassan Joho, during an event in Kakamega County. This initiative is part of the Aquaculture Business Development Programs (ABDP) targeting 14 counties across the country. Other counties receiving funding include Kakamega, Meru, Migori, Kisii, and Homa Bay, among others.
In an interview, Nyeri County ABDP program coordinator Ms. Maureen Gathigia highlighted that a significant portion of the grant will support eight youth and women-led Aquaculture Support Enterprises (ASE). Additionally, Sh3.2 million will be allocated to 32 Aquaculture Field Schools (AFS), with each receiving Sh100,000. The remaining Sh1.32 million will assist two Smallholder Aquaculture Groups in enhancing value addition and feed formulation technologies within the fish production value chain.
Gathigia noted that the release of the grant is a major boost for the county’s fish farming initiatives. The County Department of Agriculture and the ABDP have been actively promoting aquaculture among Nyeri residents, encouraging the incorporation of fish into their diets. The funding is expected to facilitate marketing, feed production, and training components of the aquaculture programs, promoting technology adoption to reduce production costs.
“We are expecting that the grant will enable our fish farmers to adopt advanced farming technologies, increase production, and access new markets. In the long run, we hope to see our youth and women in the Aquaculture Support Enterprises establish more fish eateries in the county,” Gathigia added.