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FAO and Zimbabwe collaborate to boost fish breeding

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the Government of Zimbabwe have launched a two-year Technical Cooperation Programme (TCP) to enhance fish breeding and production in the country. 

The program will address the challenge of the availability of quality fingerling supplies. The launch on Feb. 1 was attended by about 60 key stakeholders in the fisheries and aquaculture value chain in Zimbabwe. 

“The FAO TCP programme will assist to strategically position hatcheries across the country to improve access and reduce the cost of fingerlings. As a Ministry, the thrust is to make use of aquaculture as business for youth, women, men and through such initiatives the country will soon be in a position to unlock the potential of our aquaculture sector,” said Davis Marapira, deputy minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development in his official opening remarks of the launch.

FAO developed TCP after Anxious Jongwe Masuka, minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development made a request to the FAO during a visit by to Zimbabwe by Qu Dongyu, FAO director general in 2023. It was developed through a national consultative process led by FAO and the Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Department.

The project also aims to enhance the capacity of government staff in tilapia hatchery management and the capacity of government hatchery facilities while reviewing and strengthening the hatchery management policy and legal framework.

“FAO’s work in fisheries and aquaculture is geared towards bringing about a Blue Transformation, a vision committed to building sustainability and resilience. For the good of the fishing farming sector, my aspiration is for successful and sustainable implementation of this project,” said Patrice Talla, FAO subregional coordinator for Southern Africa and Representative in Zimbabwe.

This project will be implemented in line with National Development Strategy 1 and FAO’s Strategic Framework 2022-31 which seeks to support the 2030 agenda of more efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

The project will facilitate distribution of genetically selected breeds of high performance to arrest high demand and low supply of quality fingerlings in Zimbabwe. Three hatcheries that are expected to supply fish fingerlings to famers in Masvingo, Mashonaland Central and Matabeleland South provinces will be established. The hatcheries are expected to supply more than 3.9 million fingerlings, and this is going to significantly increase fish production output in the country and improve people’s livelihoods.