News & Views
Zimbabwe receives $3.5M for tilapia farming

International aid organisations have injected US$3.5 million to fund a tilapia farming project in Zimbabwe that will see a threefold increase in the production of the species.

The aim is create opportunities for marginalised communities, increase production from 5,600 tons to 14,000 tons by 2032.

The project is being spearheaded by FISH4ACP, a global fish value chain initiative of the Organisation of African, Caribbean and Pacific States (OACPS), and is implemented by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) with funding from the European Union (EU) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ). 

“Tilapia farming can be a driver of our country’s inclusive growth. This agreement will help our tilapia aquaculture take off and can be instrumental to reduce poverty and improve food security,” Zimbabwe’s minister of Agriculture and Fisheries, Anxious Masuka said.

He said the project was a ten-year plan and production will see growth rising to US$22 million.

The strategy also targets a three-fold increase of farmed Nile tilapia with production rising from 5,600 to 14,000 tonnes per year in 2032, driven by better access to inputs, services and markets for fish farmers.

The primary goal of the project is to improve value chain, open it to new markets, create potential for fish farmers, and increase quality for local and export markets.

FAO’s sub-regional coordinator for Southern Africa, Patrice Talla said the scheme would transform Zimbabwe’s food systems into drivers of economic growth.

“FAO is happy to contribute to Zimbabwe’s efforts to expand aquaculture production. FISH4ACP demonstrates how we can fulfill our mandate to transform aquatic food systems into drivers of employment, economic growth, social development and environmental recovery,” he said.

Before introducing Nile tilapia to fish farmers, the species was produced in Lake Kariba.