The Lagos State Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN) has called for increased government intervention and funding for the sector amid its various challenges.
The LASCAFAN Chairman, Mr Michael Oke-tojinu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria NAN on Wednesday in Lagos.
Oke-tojinu cited high cost of raw materials and low consumer purchasing power as significant obstacles hindering the sector’s growth.
“Currently the demand for catfish has not increased because of economic challenges. The purchasing power of a lot of Nigerians has gone down.
“There is a high cost of production which has somewhat increased the price of fish and affordability is a challenge.
“We are having a challenge with market and product development, which is what we are trying to improve on at the moment.
“We want our produce to be easily accessible to consumers in different forms beyond the regular pepper soup and party utilisation,” Oke-tojinu said.
He disclosed that the blast freezer project embarked on by the association had been put on hold due to electricity cost.
“We began our blast freezer project some years ago to improve the cold-chain value chain of the catfish sector, but presently, we are unable to continue due to electricity costs.
“The project’s sustainability is a pressing issue, with maintenance and management being key areas of concern. We’re also struggling with the high cost of electricity, which is a major challenge for us.
“Power consumption and cost of electricity went up after the project installation. So, the cost of freezing the fish is probably more than the cost of cultivating the fish.
“Also, a lot of people still want the catfish fresh, point and kill kind of thing. I think that is a mindset thing for us.
“We thank the Lagos State Government for its intervention in the sector so far, and we hope for more intervention and funding to aid the sector’s growth.
“Partnership with commercial institutions to grant zero or low interest loans to local farmers can also help overcome the challenges of the sector,” he said
