Theseus Mauruki Shambare in MUTARE
GOVERNMENT has called for increased investment in fish processing to ensure Zimbabwe derives greater economic value from rising aquaculture production.
Livestock and Fisheries Production Department director Mr Milton Makumbe said increased fish production should be matched by investment in processing, packaging and marketing to create a complete commercial value chain.
“As Government, we are saying we should not only produce fish and sell it in its raw form. We want to see a complete value chain developing around aquaculture, from the production of quality fingerlings and fish farming to processing, packaging, marketing and consumption,” Mr Makumbe said.
He said farmers needed to produce sufficient volumes to supply processors, while investors should develop products targeting both domestic and regional markets.
“We want to see our farmers producing enough fish to supply processors, and we want those processors to develop products such as fish fillets, fish fingers, fish cakes, fish sausages, fish burgers, smoked and dried fish and other products for the domestic and regional markets,” he said.
The call was made during a courtesy call on Manicaland Permanent Secretary for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Mr Abiot Maronge by a European union delegation preparing to assess fisheries and aquaculture investments supported under the Fisheries for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (FISH4ACP) programme.
Representing Mr Maronge, Director of Economic Affairs and Investment Promotion Mr Munyaradzi Rubaya said Manicaland wanted producers, Government and the private sector to work together to establish a longer fish value chain.
“Beyond simply producing tilapia for consumption, we want to see fish from this province moving up the value chain,” Mr Rubaya said.
He challenged investors to explore innovative fish products, including tilapia pies, sausages, burgers, fish fingers and cakes, as well as smoked and dried fish.
Mr Rubaya said such investment could create additional businesses, jobs, markets and income within the province.
Mr Makumbe said developing the processing sector would help Zimbabwe move from simply increasing fish production to establishing a commercially viable fisheries and aquaculture industry.
The EU delegation is assessing fisheries cold-chain infrastructure, fingerling hubs and fishponds supported under FISH4ACP as part of its monitoring and evaluation tour.
FISH4ACP is an OACPS initiative implemented by FAO with funding from the EU and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), working across 12 aquatic value chains in 12 ACP countries.
Source: Govt calls for more investment in fish processing – herald
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