Start A Catfish Farming In Nigeria

Catfish farming in Nigeria is the cultivation of one or more finned fish primarily for commercial purposes. In this article, you will learn how to start your own successful catfish farming business in Nigeria. We will provide you with all catfish farming tips so you can start your own catfish farming for profit. In terms of aquaculture, catfish farming is the most profitable in Nigeria.

Fusmar Machinery produce floating fish feed machine, sinking fish feed machine and fish feed pellet production line, this machines are used for making fish food pellets.

There are various ways to start the catfish business. Catfish farming is a simple and flexible livestock based business and you can start anywhere, especially in tropical climates like ours. In addition, catfish farming can be done where you live, especially if you have large yards. Yes, you can start catfish farming at home.

Around the world, there are so many fish, some of them include: pangas catfish, greasy grouper, big fish, grass fish, silver snapper, common catla, Nile tilapia and so on. But most fish are not suitable for farming in Nigeria. The most common fish in Nigeria are tilapia and catfish, and later catfish are the most common.

Machines For Making Catfish Feed Pellets

Fish feed extruder machine is widely used in making both floating fish feed and sinking feed pellets for aquaculture farms and feed plants. Through the fish feed extruder we can use cheap local raw materials to produce high-quality fish feed, which may save feed costs.

Profitability Of Catfish Farming in Nigeria

As mentioned, catfish is one of the most consumed sources of animal protein in Nigeria. Catfish farmers feed on everything from local chili soups to roadside barbecue vendors to upscale restaurants. Please note that this is a home purchased for daily use. Catfish is in far greater demand than supply, and will continue to grow due to its huge health benefits. Because fish grow very fast, turnover is very high. If you put your best efforts into this profitable business, you can make a huge profit, and I can assure you that you should break even in a few months.

Decide What Size Of Farm

The size of your catfish farm depends of course, on the starting capital you have. You can start from small-scale catfish farming using one tank or a small pond. Catfish farming in tanks is an option for temporary business, if you want to have a real profitable long-term business, you should think about catfish farm in a pound. However, in order to avoid harm and money loss, it is better to start from small, to understand how this business works. Your business should not do any harm to the environment. Try to choose the proper place taking into account the size of the future farm, necessity of water supply and of course, not to spend a small fortune.

Water Supply Source

Studies have shown that in this part of the world, the best source of water for fish farming is borehole. Now do not get me wrong, wells and other natural sources could also be used, but before use, try growing a few fish in the water to see how they thrive. If you opt for a borehole, depending on the capacity of the farm, one or two should be made available along with overhead tanks for water storage. There should also be a backup system especially in the mechanism for pumping water to avoid any failures, as it may be fatal to the operation of the farm.

Feeding The Catfish

Feeding catfish is far from an exact science. It's a very subjective process, catfish farmers are different. Changes in feeding methods are the result of many factors, such as cropping systems, fish size, the ability to manage water quality, the experience of feeding labor, and difficulties in estimating fish stocks.

In general, fish should be fed once a day as they will be consumed without adversely affecting water quality. During the warmer months, most catfish producers feed once a day, seven days a week. While feeding twice a day may slightly improve species growth, the logistics of feeding multiple times on large catfish farms make it impractical.

Health And Environmental Concerns

Keep your fish healthy, make a point to detect early signs of diseases, and take the necessary actions to prevent them. Follow safety guidelines and medication regulations for your fish farm. Know what chemicals are safe to use and how to treat diseases and the water in an eco-friendly manner to treat diseases and pests. Several chemicals such as copper sulfate, formalin, hydrogen peroxide, and povidone iodine are FDA approved and are safe to use in your pond for treating catfish diseases.

Challenges Affecting Catfish Farming In Nigeria

Though this is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria today, it has several challenges that are not just peculiar to the Nigerian terrain, but are faced generally.

1. Fish farming is capital intensive.
2. Acquiring of suitable land for siting the farm.
3. Depending on the scale at which you operate, it can be labor intensive.
4. Lack of technical knowhow.
5. Pest activities.
6. There is usually cannibalism among the fish.