The Kwara Fish Farmers Association has revealed that about 20 tonnes of catfish valued at N20 million is produced and sold daily in Kwara State.

The association’s Assistant Secretary, Jimoh Ahmed, disclosed this during a chat with our reporter in Ilorin, the state capital.

According to him, “Kwara fish farmers produce 20 tonnes of catfish, amounting to N20 million daily. Fish farming is a lucrative business.

“At present, Kwara has been named the highest producer of catfish in Nigeria. Our business activities have caught the attention of Kwara State Government as it has recognised our impact on the Kwara economy.

“Kwara fish industry is the third largest employers of labour in the state. The value chain of the business is wide. Registered fish producers are over 500 in number and each of us has a minimum of 20 workers under our payroll. Our major market is Abuja,” he added.

He, however, said the industry faces lots of challenges in the state and has since tabled it before the state government.

“Our challenges became worse with the aftermath of the lockdown. The cost of production is high. Most of the feeds are from the north. Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq recently came here to access how we operate. He asked us what our needs were and said we should put it in writing, which we have done.

“Part of what we told the governor was the bad state of our roads. We also requested for light in the farm and soft loan to boost our business,” Ahmed stressed.

Credit: Daily Trust