Retired police officer learns and masters fish farming

For years Meru County has made a mark for its production and export of khat (miraa) to different parts of the world, earning the crop the name Meru Green Gold.

But as the old adage cautions, you should not to put all your eggs in one basket.

Joseph Mutwiri a retired police officer has seen the wisdom of the maxim and decided to try his hand at fish farming and the rewards are there for all to see.

We meet him at his five-acre farm in Gakurine some 200 metres from Kenya Methodist University.

Dressed in a white overall and a pair of black mud boots, Mutwiri has been up since 6am when he oversees the milking and feeding of his 30 dairy cows.

After the milking is done he feeds his fish at 7am. The feeding process is so specific that it is done at one particular point and time every morning except during the cold seasons.

His fish concentrate is homemade comprising of cottonseed which is crushed into powder, wheat bran and germ. The raw materials are mixed together, a skill he learnt at Sagana Fisheries in Kirinyaga County.

Everyday, he uses 2kg in each of his six ponds.

Says Mutwiri: “From the behaviour of the fish, one can tell if the nature and quality of feed is good. If on a warm day the fish don’t scramble for the feed, then this is a sign that they have rejected it. But if the fish exhaust the feed, then this is a sign that it was inadequate.”

To supplement the feed, Mutwiri adds about 500gm of DAP fertiliser every two weeks in the corners of the pond and cow dung manure because they provide lots of nitrogen thus facilitating the growth of phytoplankton – the natural feed for fish in water.

“After feeding one should also check on the surrounding area, ensuring that weeds and falling leaves are removed so that predators don’t find a place to harbour.

REASONABLE AMOUNT OF CLAY SOIL

During the rainy season Mutwiri is keen to ensure that the storm waters that fills the pond don’t overflow and carry away some fish. He ensures that the outlet is covered with a net as to allow excess water to leave the pond. “With an overflow some fish may float attracting the predators,” he says.

Before he started venture in 2011 after retiring early, the 55-year-old father of two embarked on research and realised that although it was rarely practised in the region, fish farming was very profitable and had minimal inputs.

“I looked for a suitable land that was neither flooded nor polluted; one that wasn’t very close to crop fields as to avoid chemicals from fertilizers and pesticides trickling down to the pond. I also ensured that the pond could access good source of fresh water where the topography wasn’t too steep nor too level,” Mutwiri explains.

“If the inflow is too low, water quality may suffer from oxygen depletion and accumulation of toxic material, while if the outflow is too high, beneficial algae may be flushed out. Water level should be maintained at full level throughout as to reduce predators’ invasion.

When it came to soil selection Mutwiri says: “The type of soil being used to construct the dike should contain at least some reasonable percentage of clay soil say 20 per cent as to ensure that the pond will hold water throughout the growing period. Rocky, sandy or gravelly soil is not suitable for constructing a pond.”

With everything in place, Mutwiri sourced his first fingerlings from the fisheries department in Meru County and Sagana in Kirinyaga County and this marked the commencement of his fish farming an investment that cost him not less than Sh150,000.

The farm hosts six earthen ponds each measuring 22m by 16m. For the fish pond design, he advises that it be in accordance with the fish species one wants to keep as each fish species requires a special type of pond design to grow, and that the design should be one that allows the fish to grow happily, ensure good health and maximise production.

The ponds hold at least 1,000 fish of the two varieties reared; tilapia and catfish. He introduces catfish when the tilapia are three months old to ensure that the pond isn’t over populated as catfish feed on tilapia.

MANY AQUATIC RESOURCES

Mutwiri has been a beneficiary of fish farming trainings form different organisations such as Aquacultural Association of Kenya, The United Nations Industrial Development Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organisation and other trainings conducted by county fisheries department.

Mutwiri prefers rearing his fish in their natural environment instead of having them in artificial ponds, saying that natural environment help foster the development of aquatic fauna that helps stimulate aquatic vegetation thus intensifying the presence of micro-organisms, small molluscs and crustaceans larvae and worms that form the basis of aquatic food.

He cautions that one should also keep a keen eye on predators such as snakes and frogs.

According to Rita Nairuti, manager Mwea Aquafish farm, an earthen pond has an advantage of purifying itself as it is able to absorb impurities them while allowing fish to enjoy a natural habitat without compelling the farmers to use certain fertilisers as the fish can utilize the various available nutrients at the pond.

At the farm, fish harvesting is done on demand. After the harvest, the catch is taken to a preparation room for slaughter and packaging depending on the customers specifications that range from fillets to whole fish.

He sells his fish at Kanyakine fish factory and has his own farm gate outlet among other markets.

Mutwiri recommends that farmers in Kenya turn to fish farming as the country is endowed with many aquatic resources and successful aqua cultural potential ranging from the highly varied climatic and geographical regions that support an abundance of native aquatic species.

He also cites the high demand and price for fish in the Kenyan market and creation of employment among the key motivating factors.

He is the chairman Meru Fish Farmers Co-operative Society.