Mutasa villagers endorse fish farming projects

Lazarus Sauti

Mutasa rural dwellers in Manicaland Province are set to benefit from fish farming projects spearheaded by Maoresa Fish Production group and supported by Practical Action that aims at improving food and nutrition security.

The project, with 18 members – 10 men and eight women, started in October 2015 and is set to benefit Nyabadza, Mutsamba and other surrounding villages.

Charles Kamutsamba, Maoresa Fish Production group chairperson said the fish farming project is not only going to help members, but other villagers who will need fish for consumption.

“Our members dug a pond that can hold up to 2 000 fish at Jombe Primary School, and we are in the process of acquiring Nile Tilapia fish as part of the project’s expansion. We want to breed fish for consumption and commercial purposes,” he said.

Lucy Manyawu, 54, and a member of the Maoresa Fish Production group endorsed the project and applauded Practical Action for engaging villagers in fish farming.

“Practical Action provided us with training and from the training we discovered that fish farming is a very simple project to implement. As for water, it is not a challenge as it is coming directly from Nyamarungu River,” she said.

Manyawu added that group members have toured Mutare and Masvingo where they had first hand experience from projects there.

“We toured Mutare and Masvingo for a look and learn tour, thanks to Practical Action. The tour helped us in a big way,” she said.

Sharing the same sentiments, Maoresa Fish Production vice chairperson Francis Mandiopera, 72, added that the Mutare tour linked them with Molusi Meats, a private organisation operating there.

“Through the assistance of Practical Action, we have already secured a market with Molusi Meats,” he said.

Practical Action projects officer Lamack Mahohoma said they were linking fish farmers with markets to expand the fish farming business.

“The idea of Look and Learn tours is to link fish farmers with markets and supplies. Through the tour, farmers managed to secure market with Molusi Meats,” he said.

Agriculture extension worker Jeniphar Marira said it was timely that Practical Action supported farmers with plastic materials and nets for the pond which measures 10x20 metres and 1.75 metres deep.

“They provided farmers with plastic materials and nets. The farmers need nets to cover the pond and keep predators away because when it is hot the fish rise to the surface, but fall prey to birds which eat them.”

Marira said villagers have endorsed the project and have started digging ponds at their homesteads.

Mahohoma added that his organisation is in the process of extending ponds so that local communities will become self-reliant at a time when most Zimbabweans are struggling to make ends meet due to the current harsh economic environment in the country.

“This fish farming project is one way of ensuring that villagers are sustainably managing wetlands and also benefiting from the natural resource. Our objective is thus to empower communities in Mutasa to be self-reliant,” he said.