Meet epkoyai area in Hamisi Sub-County, 70-year-old Zinath Deen, a successful fish farmer and owner of Razaq Fish Farm. Deen is so passionate about her fish farming business, which she says offsets all her domestic financial obligations.

Upon arrival at her home, she takes us through the process of fish farming and value addition chain, when asked about how she started, her motivation and reward.

She has been a fish farmer for the past 11 years after undergoing training during the 2012 economic stimulus programme (ESP) campaign as the country braced for the implementation of the economic take-off blueprint, Vision 2030, in which the blue economy featured as a key pillar.

Deen started as a small-scale fish farmer with one fish pond but she has expanded to 16 ponds and a fish hatchery.

The species of fish on her farm are tilapia nilotica, ornamental gold fish and African catfish. She sells both mature fish and fingerlings that weigh 2-5 grams for Ksh8 if it is tilapia, while catfish fingerlings cost Ksh10 each.  

She says starting fish farming requires a piece of land, water, fingerlings and feeds. A fish farmer does not have to start with a standard fish pond of 30-by-10 metres as recommended by government. A smaller fish pond can work for start-ups too.

The farmer advises women and youth to stop blaming the government for unemployment but should rather venture into fish farming as a source of income. She employs five youths on the farm.

Because of her pioneering role in fish farming in the area, she chairs Jepkoyai Bidii Self Help Group that has 15 members that are involved in fish-farming and are value chain champions. Some members of group own fish ponds and outlets and have been instrumental in sharing knowledge with aquaculture students from Maseno University, Moi University, Egerton University and Ramogi Institute of Advanced Technology (RIAT) who go to the farms for internship or industrial attachment.

Deen was motivated to start fish farming because her land was swampy and could not grow food crops as other farmers in the neighbourhood do. She does not want to grow eucalyptus – a popular agroforestry practice in the area – because the species is a land degradation catalyst.

She took advantage of this challenge and ventured into fish farming and later started producing fingerlings on her farm after being trained on the same. She said that her major challenge is inadequate water storage facilities and appealed to the government help her and other fish farmers acquire water storage facilities for harvesting water during rain seasons, which they can use later.

Another challenge is the high cost of fish feeds, which forces her to formulate her own affordable feeds to reduce production cost and improve quality.

She says she has to maintain a timed feeding routine at 9.00am and 3.00pm to enhance the quality of fish products and that she is devoted to training anyone interested in fish farming to help ease the burden of unemployment in the county.

Her success comes from pursuing her interest in fish farming relentlessly and offsetting the challenges that come her way.

Deen has diversified her farm activities with dairy cattle and dairy goat keeping, tissue culture banana farming, fruits and vegetables on her farm, which she sells additional income. She said most of the food she consumes is from her farm and she prefers cooking her tea with goat milk which is more nutritious compared to cow’s milk. She believes goat milk keeps her strong and makes her look younger than her age.

Vihiga County recently received a grant of Kshh69.7 million to boost aquaculture. Farmers with an interest in fish farming stand a chance to benefit from this grant. Women and youth are encouraged to invest in fish farming to enhance their livelihoods and economic status.

• A Tell / KNA report / By Maureen Imbayi