Fish drying business in Nigeria has been the major source of income of many farmers in the country. Many of the farmers who had ventured into this branch of fish farming have always come up with testimonies, and the popular among several of these is that of financial turnaround.
Catfish farming has been the hallmark of any form of fish farming in this part of the world because of the relative ease of starting the business and the adaptability of catfish in this region.
Despite the influx of people into catfish farming in Nigeria, there are still shortages of fish. In recent years, the demand for fish in the country has been on the rise as a result of the embargo placed on fish importation.
According to Nigeria fishery statistics – 2016 Summary Report) culled from www.fcwc-fish.org it states that “the total fish demand for Nigeria based on the 2014 population estimate of 180m is 3.32m Mt.
The domestic fish production from Aquaculture, artisanal, and Industrial fisheries for 2014 is 1.123m Mt. Also in 2014, fisheries contributed 0.48% to the Agriculture GDP, and the contribution of Agriculture to GDP (2014) was 20.24%.
On the 17th of August, 2016 www.thisdaylive.com reported that the Director General of the National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), Professor Lucy Jumeyi Ogbadu, divulged that the current demand for fish consumption in the country stands at about 3.2 million metric tons per annum.
The report also claimed she said that the country produces only 1.1 million metric tons, leaving a hug gap of 2 million tons in the supply of fish products. This latter report is no different from the former one except for the slight difference in the disclosed figures.
From the above data we can deduce that fish or catfish production in Nigeria is quite low as compared to the high demand for the product. In this article, I will be writing on how best to set up a catfish processing factory in Nigeria with reference to the different machines needed for such a venture.
In setting up a fish processing business or factory there are factors you must take into consideration. These factors will determine the success of the venture at the start and at the long run. Below is a list of the factors you will need to consider:
- Availability of fund: I have heard people say that the first thing you need before starting any business is the idea and not the fund. That’s relatively true. Now that the idea is on the ground the next thing that should be on your mind should be the money to run the business.
Catfish processing business needs a starting fund but not as expensive as what many people has been proposing.
Many people feels you need millions to kick start the business but I am here to proof you wrong on that. With less than a hundred thousand you can start a catfish smoking or dried catfish business.
To be precise you can start this business with N10,000 only if you really want to get started at a small scale. Ok, I am sure you are thinking like what’s this dude saying. Chill, I will give you a little analysis soon.
- Availability of space for processing: space for your smoked catfish processing business is of the essence. You will need space to keep the harvested catfish, do the killing, and washing as well a space to keep your fish drier or oven as some people calls it or set up your coal stand in a situation where you don’t have the aforementioned equipment.
Good spacing helps you to move around freely. With good spacing, you can put things in place fast and even employ more hands in the case where you are embarking on a large scale production.
- Availability of machine or equipment: no processing factory or agricultural processing establishment can do without equipment especially if they wish to mass produce. Agricultural processing is one business that thrives in the right environment and with the required equipment and not necessarily the best.
In the case of catfish processing or general dry fish processing, fish drier or oven is equipment you must own. This equipment comes in different capacity, size and designs (source of power).
With the irregular power supply in Nigeria, fish drying experts have devised several ways to keep their business afloat and the fish processors are not left out as well.
This development leads to the design of fish driers that can use different power sources to get the required result. Now we have ovens that run on just cooking gas, coal or electricity and there are others that run on two or a combination of all the power sources.
To get the best fish drying equipment in Nigeria, my company is the best organization to contact for such job. I am an Agricultural Engineer who is trained specifically in the design of Agricultural processing machinery. Give me a call here: 08032912347 let’s discuss on how to set up your processing factories.
As a new fish processor who lacks the financial capacity to acquire this equipment, you can start with the local method of processing fish. All you need to get you started is a stand with wire mesh over it and a fireplace beneath.
In this case the major power sources are coal and firewood. Also to make your fire stand all you need do is to get a drum, open up the top and replace with wire mesh while you create an opening below it where coal and firewood can pass into the drum.
- Availability and cost of fresh catfish: as a person who wants to concentrate solely on processing you may not want to start catfish breeding, you can start by simply buying from catfish farmers within your environs.
I will also advice you meet up with two to three different farmers so as to get a good deal. Remember that you are into the business for two purposes which are: to meet needs and lastly to make end meets.
- Accessibility to market: The market is really not the challenge; the major problem you might face is your inability to market your produce. Marketing is the soul of any business. Poor marketing will result in poor sales.
I will advise you have a marketing plan ready. The best time to start planning out your market is not when you’ve start production but when you are actually thinking out the whole business.
So don’t leave out money on the table by not having a clear cut vision of the kind of people you want to sell to and how to get to them within the shortest time frame because of competition and at the lowest cost ever.
For the fabrication of your Agricultural processing equipment give me a call today: 08032912347 and lets plan out your business together. It’s safe when you have an expert around you to lead you aright. Also drop you observations, comments and let me know what you need me to write on.
Thank you
Be First to Comment