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Ref:496/03 |
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zambia
- Jan 1, 2003 |
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Zambia
Has Potential to Develop Fish Farming |
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The National Aquaculture
Research and Development Centre (NARDC) says Zambia has
the potential to develop fish farming industry once
practical support and logistics are in place.
NARDC officer in-charge Kenneth Mazingaliwa said Zambia
had what it took to be a showpiece of fish farming in
the sub-Saharan region.
He said what was now required was implementation of
programmes and policies that would support the fishing
industry. Mr Mazingaliwa said this when he led a team of
officers from all the nine provinces in Zambia who paid
a courtesy call on Kitwe mayor Patrick Tembo.
He said the officers were attending a course at Mwekera
which was convened to find solutions to problems
affecting the fish farming industry in Zambia.
He said there was need for practical support to ensure
Zambia continued to develop.
'Zambia has the amount of water, landscape soil type,
weather conditions that were favourable to fish farming
and what was needed was the implementation of programmes
that would support the industry.
He said courses and meetings such as the one which had
been convened at Mwekera between technical officers and
farmers would help develop fish industry.
Mr Mazingaliwa who is Mwekera's project coordinator for
in-country aquaculture training said the course would
also strengthen research and extension linkages.
The course was being attended by extension agents,
research technicians, training instructors and farmers.
He said Zambia was currently rated third in the
sub-Saharan region where fish farming was concerned and
praised JICA for its support to the industry.
And Mr Tembo said he was impressed that the course which
was taking place in Kitwe would enable fish farming to
play a vital role by offering proteins.
He said because of hunger, some of the foods consumed by
people lacked protein, and therefore, with the
development of fish industry, many people would benefit
from the proteins.
'Most of the diet people have has no protein and I am
sure that once the industry is developed , people will
get proteins from the fish,' Mr Tembo said. |
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