A team from the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP), conducted a series of site visits to review the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) – Advancing Resilient Nutrition Sensitive Aquaculture (ARNSA) project.
The visit comes as the project enters its final phase ahead of its completion in December. The delegation evaluated progress, identified challenges encountered, and discussed the way forward as the project winds up.
Speaking during the visit, Vihiga County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Julius Maruja assured the team that the county government was putting in place measures to ensure continuity of aquaculture activities beyond the project’s lifespan.
He said the price of fingerlings would be reduced from Sh5 to Sh4, while locally produced fish feeds from Mwitoko Hatchery would be made affordable. He added plans were underway to set up a fish feed factory at the facility.
Maruja said that county fisheries officers will continue offering technical support to farmers, including extension services and assistance in establishing new fish ponds.
The delegation toured Vokoli Girls High School, which is among the institutions benefiting from the project, before visiting fish farmers in Busali Ward. They also inspected ongoing installation of fish kiosks at Kaimosi Friends Vocational Training Institute and Chavakali Market.
At Mwitoko Hatchery, the team held discussions with project officers and reviewed benefits of the programme. IFAD representative Dr Obiero commended farmers and field staff for their commitment, urging them to take full ownership of the initiative to ensure its sustainability after the programme ends.
ABDP Aquaculture Specialist Ruth Lewo Mwarabu noted that farmers have embraced innovative and low-cost technologies such as the use of azolla and blood meal as alternative fish feeds. She said the project applied a 50 per cent cost-sharing model, with beneficiaries contributing the balance.
Sammy Aradi, representing fish farmers in Busali, thanked the programme implementers for the support received, noting that all 450 mapped farmers benefited from training, predator nets, fingerlings, feeds and capacity-building sessions.
He said although there were some delays in feed distribution, farmers managed to keep their fish supplied, with a big number expected to harvest in December.
The NORAD-funded ARNSA project operates in Kenya, Mozambique and Tanzania. In Kenya, it covers Vihiga, Migori and Nyeri counties. A team from Mozambique is expected to visit Kenya in December to learn from the project’s implementation.
By Rose Wasike
