AfDB provides $1m for TAAT projects

The African Development Bank (AfDB), through its Technology for African Agricultural Transformation (TAAT) initiative, has provided $1m as seed money for projects in 10 African countries. The TAAT compact Leader Professor, Bernadette Fregene, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja at the TAAT-Aquaculture compact planning meeting.

She said: “Africa development bank has mandated TAAT aquaculture compact to target one million, one hundred and fifty beneficiaries within three to four years, but because we are covering 10 countries-Nigeria, Ghana, Congo, Zambia, Benin Republic, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Tanzania and Burundi, we spent this $1 among them, but because Nigeria has the highest population we are targeting 350 beneficiaries, which will spread across Nigeria’s agro ecological zones, south west, south east and north central.”

Fregene explained that out of the 350 beneficiaries, 20 per cent are likely to be feed millers, another 20 per cent would be feed seed producers, then the remaining 60 per cent are the farmers that are producing.

She added: “The whole purpose is to ensure that the farmer gets a seed that will grow to the market side within the expected time. Within five months our Tilipia should have been able to grow to the average size of between 300 and 700 grams and the catfish would have grown to six grams to one kilo within five to six months,” She added.

Also speaking, a Director at the Federal Department of fisheries, Mohammed Muazu, noted that 90 per cent of fish farmers depends on imported fish feeding, because it gives them result, adding that the local feeds produced in Nigeria do not give result.

“We need research work so that we can use locally available raw materials to compound this fish feeding that will be of comparative advantage to the imported one, unless we do that farmers have more confidence on imported feeds.“The demand is 3.5 million metric tonnes is what we need annually to satisfy the requirements based on the recommended per capita consumption of fish of 17.5kg by individuals”