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Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria (2024 DOC)

Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria 2024 Sample

Starting a Fish Farming Business today requires you get a professional help or buy a well written business Plan which can serve as a guide through the set up period. The truth is that there are several business challenge

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facing the average businessman/ woman In Nigeria today, especially when it has to do with fish farming as well as the stiff competition that comes with this type of investment, the question now is how to start fish farming in a country like Nigeria? And the get the required return on the investment made in the business.

Overcoming these challenges places you at the pinnacle for your business career. And also the business you get to understand how to start up a business venture in country like Nigeria and being able to running it successfully irrespective of the challenges’ that comes your way.

The Commercial fish farming business plan In Nigeria feasibility study PDF file offers a detailing information on how to start up a fish farming business. For a fact, these are over a thousand species of edible fishes one can actual farm, the most common among them is the catfish, you can see Catfish Farming business plan in Nigeria.

In the business of farming fishes , there are categories of fishes to be farmed, and these fishes has procedures which must be adopted; they are subdivided into two categories, they include;

• Grow-out pond operation

Nursery – The nursery subdivision is a kind of feeder operation which forms the basis for the grow-out pond subdivision. The thing is that the later won’t operate maximally without a functioning nursery. The primary function of the nursery entails the ability of the fish farmer to induce the female fish which makes them to be able to lay eggs. After laying on of eggs, these eggs are either fertilized, incubated or are hatched, these are also known as the fries. In their tiny state, these fries are nurtured for a short period of time, approximately 3 to 4 weeks. At this stage they become what is called fingerlings, the fingerlings can now be transferred to the fish grow-out operation.

Grow-Out Pond operation – This subdivision talks about the fingerlings gotten from the nursery subdivision which will be nurtured until they are matured enough to be sold. This is also applicable to the Catfish farming business.

This feasibility study on commercial catfish business plan centers on the processes involved in growing a fish from the nursery to the grow-out pond operation level. The stages include;

• Pre fingerlings
• Fingerlings
• mini juveniles and then

These stages can take place within a period of say 4 to 5 months. At that final stage when is has matured into a table size fish , you can then offer them for sale.

Factors Involved In Setting Up A Fish Farming Business

One thing the Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria PDF feasibility study will help you in achieving is effective planning and the proper implementation of detailed information that will be useful, below are some of the factors to consider;

Location To Site The Fish Farm – You need to secure a site where the fish farm will be located, getting a suitable land earns you a huge step in the right direction as regards your fish farming business plan In Nigeria. In setting up this farm, things like an accessible road to the farm, nearness to the market etc should be considered. Then after securing your land, carefully map out how every department will operate, from (i) Ponds to the (ii) Farm house (iii) Water supply (iv) Drainage facility etc.

Note – Effective water draining helps your business not to constitute public nuisance in your area of establishment.

Map Out A Workable Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria – Your plan is the blood stream of the business. What you have in your plans tells the size of the fish farm you want, either large scale or small-scale. Your plans will also tell of the pond system you will adopt. We have different pond system, they include;

• Re-circulatory system
• Earthen pond system
• concrete/plastic pond system, you can go for both.

Where To Source For Water supply – For your Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria to be successful, you need constant water supply, you can use the following sources,

• Bore hole water source, this source has been considered as the best water for fish farming.
• Installing Overhead tanks, this system will help you to retain water and then pumping it into the pond. You can hold water in the tanks for a period as it can also maintain a certain temperature.

Pond Construction – This has to be included in your Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria. There are professional pond constructors you can employ to help you construct a quality pond.

Aquaculture Production In Nigeria

The aquaculture production in Nigeria has in recent time attracted considerable attention. With a well written feasibility studies like the commercial fish farming business plan pdf that has created an avenue for private individuals to participate in the venture as a business.

The procedure and technology adapted for growing these fish in the farm method are well detailed in this business plan. Also information contained therein was written with respect to principles of sustainable aquaculture, as well as aquaculture production technology system where the ecological as well as the economic viability persists indefinitely’.

Fish like other living creatures are affected the happening of their environment (water), these happenings can either help their growth or hinder their growth. Fish has an ecosystem that is dynamic in nature, a fact that is contributed by nutrient, weather or season. It is important to know that the dynamic nature of the ecosystem is even more visible in the fish farm system. Hence, ensure that your water supply is constant and then also know when to change the water.

Fish farmers can be successful if they can be pretty much observant and then adapt their farming schedule, this alone can help to boost their fish productivity as well as profitability. By getting this Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria , you have a well detailed feasibility study that has all you need to have your commercial production of catfish set up in Nigeria.

TO GET YOUR FISH FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA. Simply order yours by paying N10,000 to

GTBank (Guaranty Trust Bank)

Account Name – Okite Joseph ikenna

Account No – 0044083736

Once payment is made for the FISH FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA / FEASIBILITY STUDY PDF, send the following info (i) a valid email address and (ii) your payment details to any of these numbers – 07039768549.

NOTE – It is important to note that the Business Plan for Fish Farming PDF will immediately be sent to the email address after your payment has been confirmed.(Soft copy only)

What will the Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria Look Like?

INTRODUCTION

• Current Situation of aquaculture in Nigeria
• Aquaculture Production in Nigeria
• Aquaculture Policy Environment at National and State Levels
• Success potential
• Skills and abilities for success
• Production feasibility

MARKET ANALYSIS & TECHNICAL ANALYSIS for Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

• Product description
• Financial projections
• Competitors marketing analysis
• Proposed Marketing Strategy
• Operational Details and Structure
• Machinery/Equipment Requirements, housing, drugs and feeding
• Raw materials and sources

Labour Force, Admin Requirements, And Organisation for Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

• Personnel requirement
• Organization structure

Capital (Investment Analysis) Involved

This covers for;

• Cost production of 50,000 fingerlings and their expected returns (ROI). Investment in feed, fingerlings etc
• Cost production of 50,000 Grow-out pond and their expected returns (ROI)
• Cost production of 50,000 smoked fish and their expected returns (ROI).

Additional Information

• A MANUAL, FIND BELOW THE CONTENT
• TOPICS COVERED IN THE FISH FARMING BUSINESS MANUAL

HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES for Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

• Introduction
• Commercial Fish Production
• Sustainable aquaculture production
• Why some fish farmers fail
• Sitting the farm

POND REQUIREMENTS, DESIGNS, CONSTRUCTION AND POND TYPES for Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

• Earthen pond
• Flow through system (Concrete tank, plastic tanks or vat)

REPRODUCTION IN CATFISH for Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

• Choosing Your Male & Female Brood Stock
• Injecting the Female Fish
• Getting the Male Sperm
• Stripping the Female Fish
• Mixing Sperm with Eggs & Spreading Inside the Vat
• Feeding the Fries
• Daily schedules of works in trough rearing of fries
• Sorting: A Necessary Factor
• Operational cost for fingerlings production
• Diseases of fingerlings
• Transportation of fish

How To Start Fish Farming Business In Nigeria

Fish farming business in Nigeria can be regarded as one of the most profitable businesses out there, this is easy to know due to the high level of patronage the very few fish farms around us get, not only that, fish has been described by nutritionist as an alternative source of protein, so instead of buying the red meat you so much dread, you simply buy either iced fish from a cold room or buy from the fish farm around your area.

Without a doubt Catfish farming is a profitable business ventures and the good thing about starting one is that beginning your fish farm with a catfish, will yield returns earlier since catfishes are easy to get as well as cultivate, with easy accessibility to all types of fish feeds. In a very short and very brief review, we are going to look at how to start a fish farm, things you need to rung a standard fishery in Nigeria, and then a list of equipment required to kick start your business venture.

Entrepreneurship and extensive innovation has made it possible for business enthusiast to run a fish farm business without necessarily going to the river to fish or constant visit to a nearby pond. Today, with enough money at hand, you can easily build a fish pond, supply enough water constantly and your fish will grow and becomes some of the biggest in the market, in order words a commercial fish farm is possible if the capital is available.

Why Fish Farming Is Lucrative With High Profit Margin

A lot could be could be attributed to the reason why fish farm business in Nigeria comes with loads of advantages for the business owner, below are three reasons you should consider going into fish farming;

Affordability but highly Lucrative – In comparison with other meats, fish is cheaper than birds such as chicken and Turkey and then goat mean or beef. Fishery products are popular, with different types, from dried fish to smoked fish and many more, the Nigerian market is filled with different types, hence the possibility of selling faster than meat.

Alternative Source of Protein – As stated earlier, fish offers another protein source, the good thing about it is that it comes with a lot of zero fat. Fish according to nutritionists are of the opinion that fish contains vitamins such as the Riboflavin as well as the ever important vitamin D, also present is the omega-3 fatty acids, in essence, the nutrients in fish could help in situations such as when an individual needs a heart or brain surgery. Other nutrients found in fish includes but not limited to the following;

• Omega-3 fatty acids

Rapid Growth –  Another reason why fish farming is assumed to be lucrative is because of the rapid growth cycle in fishes, this means you could make profit within a very time from constant reselling of your farm produce.

Hurry now, TO GET YOUR FISH FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA. Simply order yours by paying N10,000 to

NOTE – It is important to note that the Business Plan for Fish Farming PDF will immediately be sent to the email address after your payment has been confirmed.(Soft copy only),

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Fish Farming Business Plan in Nigeria – A Complete Guide

July 25, 2022 Aqua4nations Fish Rearing 1

Table of Contents

Introduction To Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

Without a question, fish farming is a more lucrative agribusiness if you are thinking about starting a commercial fish farming firm. Prior to writing a commercial fish farming business plan, research how to raise fish profitably.

To start a fish farming firm , a market analysis and business plan are essential. Before beginning, you should conduct a thorough market analysis. Next, examine the fish demand and market trends in your area. Talk to fish processing facilities in advance if you intend to run a commercial fish farming business for export. selecting the ideal fish species for your operation can help you succeed in the fish farming industry.

The choice of fish species for farming relies on the climate, market demand, maintenance requirements, and resource availability, among other factors.

Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria – Executive Summary

This business plan demonstrates how setting up a fish farm in Nigeria is possible. The strategy went into great detail to describe tilapia and catfish aquaculture in Nigeria. The various pond types utilized in fish farming were outlined in detail.

Additionally highlighted was the cost and income analysis of starting a fish farming business in Nigeria. The overall cost, revenue, and profit anticipated from Nigerian fish farming were described. A good fish farmer in Nigeria can achieve a Return on Investment (ROI) of between 40 and 100 percent in a reasonably short period of time, according to the business plan.

This business plan provides all the details you require to launch a fish farming business in Nigeria.

What is Aquaculture?

Aquaculture is referred to as fish farming. Many fish farmers in Nigeria operate their operations for financial gain. In Nigeria, catfish farming accounts for over 80% of all fish farming. The most popular fish raised for aquaculture in Nigeria is the catfish.

Fish farming is a business that anyone can invest in. If you know the ins and outs of the industry, it can be highly profitable. If not, it can be a loss-making endeavor.

Fish farming has the advantage of not being seasonal like other forms of agriculture.

Both the rainy and dry seasons are suitable for carrying it out. In all Nigerian cities, towns, and villages, fish farming is also possible. You can do this business anywhere in Nigeria, including Kaduna, Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, Abeokuta, Port Harcourt, Calabar, Benin, and Owerri.

The quality of fingerlings and other fish seeds, water quality, water PH, dissolved oxygen in the water, ammonia, farm hygiene, and turbidity are the main causes of fish farming failure in Nigeria.

Procedures to follow before starting a fish farming business

Get a good piece of land or space.

A field, land, or area must be purchased, leased, or rented in order to engage in fish farming. The beauty of the fish farming industry is that, with the use of intensive farming methods, it is possible to operate in a relatively small area.

Since fish farming requires a lot of water, your land or area must always have enough water available. The closer your land is to a commercial region, the easier it will be to sell your fish at a profit and the less expensive it will be to carry your harvests to market.

Set up your water supply

For fish farming, water is crucial. Make sure there is enough water accessible before purchasing the land or area.

Water is a necessity for aquaculture. You can use natural water sources like rivers and streams, a well, or a borehole to get water. Large amounts of water can also be collected during the rainy season for usage later on.

Analyze the soil and water

Many fish producers in Nigeria don’t follow this rule. You must send water and soil samples to a reputable lab for examination. The results of the soil and water test will reveal the PH of the soil and water, the nutrients profile of the soil and water, and the kind and number of microorganisms present in the soil and water. You must fix any anomalies found by the test if they are found.

For instance, lime will need to be added to an acidic soil.

Construct the fish pond

Ponds come in a variety of forms. There are benefits and drawbacks to each form of fish pond . It is best to always hire a professional to construct your fish pond.

You ought to have a number of ponds. You will need to separate your fish at various stages and place them in various ponds based on their sizes. You will also have a separate pond where you can keep fish who are ill or hurt. The quarantine pond is what it is called.

You Can Also Read:

• Catfish Farming In Nigeria - Quick Guide For Beginners
• How To Treat A Sick Cultured Fish At Home: A Guide for Every Fish Farmer
• What do Fish Eat? A Detailed Guide + Video Tutorial For Beginners
• How To Start Catfish Rearing In 30 Minutes (Beginner Guide)
• Step To Step Guide On Hatching Catfish At Home
• Important Things To Know Before Starting A Fish Farming Business

If you don’t sort and separate your fish, the larger fish won’t let the smaller fish eat, which might cause the smaller fish to die and ultimately result in a loss-making fish farming operation.

To protect against predators, the pond needs to be enclosed in nets.

Protect the farm

Fish farms are targets for thieves because they know the products may be easily sold. You can hire a security guard or fence the farm off. You can also utilize an IP camera with night vision that is SIM card enabled. Nevertheless, even without all of the aforementioned precautions, certain regions are relatively secure.

Get capable hands involved

You will need to hire qualified workers if your fish farm is large. Don’t hire somebody based just on their resumes. Hire somebody with practical knowledge of fish farming. Additionally, you ought to request references from their prior employers.

A source of energy

You need a steady source of electricity for your fish farm. If the grid’s power supply is inconsistent, you can use a tiny power generator.

Put fish seeds in the pond

At this point, most fish farmers make mistakes. I can vouch for the fact that inbreeding has occurred in the majority of Nigerian fingerlings and other fish seeds.

They are unsuitable for successful fish farming operations. Many farmers do not understand this. Once you purchase these fish fingerlings or fish seeds, you will need to keep feeding them because they won’t mature into large fish, which means you will probably lose a lot of money.

Even the majority of fish hatcheries keep the healthy fingerlings for themselves after hatching them and sell the unhealthy ones to gullible fish farmers.

Get quality fingerlings, and you’ll be halfway to profitable fish farming. Avoid runts and stay away from fingerlings priced at absolute bargains; this is a tactic used to get you to acquire subpar fingerlings.

Fish seeds come in post-fries, fingerlings, juveniles, and giant varieties. Prices start at N8 and go up to N60.

Controlling the fish farm

You must adhere completely to your fish farm’s daily management plan. The water should be cleaned with disinfectants on occasion. Antibiotics can also be used to combat illnesses that could harm a fish farm.

Before adding manure to the pond, it should be treated and cleaned.

Fish should not be harvested before a definite purchase agreement has been made with buyers. Some purchasers deceive farmers into harvesting before they subsequently visit the property and start making outrageous offers. You can promote your products by going to nearby eateries and hotels.

Fish Farming Business Plan: Catfish Fish Farming Cost and Revenue Evaluation For 5,000 Fish

This business plan for fish farming calls for the maturation of 5,000 catfish. While stocking fish seeds or fingerlings, a farmer can utilize a number of strategies to save money.

This business plan recommends purchasing 15,000 fingerlings at a cost of N10 each, for a total of N150,000. Please be aware that the fingerlings will be periodically separated until only 5,000 of the best and healthiest fish are kept till they reach maturity. The remaining fingerlings might be offered for sale to additional fish growers. Also take note that the aquaculture business plan does not address the option for the fish farmer to create his own hatchery.

The fish will likely be raised for five months and then sold.

Cost Evaluation

The fish farm would be funded with N296,000 in the first month. This includes the fingerlings’ N150,000 price. The fish should be fed as frequently as possible throughout the first month. The fish should at the very least be fed three times per day. The fish will eat about 12 bags of fish feed in the first month. At this point, copper feed, which costs between N8,000 and N8,700 a bag, can be utilized.

Every week, the pond needs to be cleaned, treated with salt, and given antibiotics. It is possible to use the excellent antibacterial and antifungal drug Blagdon.

Tetracycline and other broad spectrum antibiotic drugs are also options. The first month should see the start of fish size separation. The table above includes the prices for labor, power, operations, drugs, and other items.

About 14 bags of feed are anticipated to be used by the fish in the second month. At this point, ziegler and coppers feed are appropriate. The estimated cost for the second month is N159,000. This includes N117,000 for food, N15,000 for labor, N11,000 for power, N10,000 for operating costs, and N6,000 for other expenses.

N303,000 is anticipated to be expended in the third month. The estimated price of feeding is N214,000. The third month should see substantial use of Ziegler feed and maggot.

The fish are anticipated to consume 32 bags of feed during the fourth month. The largest fish should consume 6 mm of feed, while the middle-sized fish should consume 4 mm of feed. N330,000 is the entire estimated expenditure for the fourth month. The table above displays the cost breakdown.

According to the table above, N373,000 is anticipated to be spent on food, labor, operations, miscellaneous expenses, and power in the fifth month, which is anticipated to be the final month before harvest. At this point, 38 bags of feed are anticipated to be used.

Business Plan for Catfish Farming – Revenue Evaluation

If the fish farm is well managed and the fish are divided into several ponds based on their sizes. In all likelihood, after 5 or 5.5 months, around 1,500 extremely huge fish, N 1,000 enormous fish, 2,000 medium size fish, and 500 small fish will be harvested.

The super-sized fish, which can weigh up to 1.2 kg or 1.5 kg, are anticipated to sell for between N1,200 and N1,500. The super-sized fish will bring in N1,800,000 when sold for N1,200 each.

The price of the large fish is N650. They ought to weigh around 1 kilogram or little more on average. The fish farmer will earn roughly N650,000 from this (if sold N650 per kg multiplied by 1,000 fishes).

There will be 2,500 pieces of medium and tiny fish. In local slang, these are referred to as mélanges and are offered for sale in baffs. 38 baffs are equal to 2,500 pieces of tiny and medium-sized fish. About 28kg make up a baff. The 38 baffs are anticipated to generate a total of N420,000 in sales.

There will be N2,870,000 in sales overall.

From 5,000 catfish stocks, a profit of (N2,870,000 − 1,461,000) = N1,409,000 is anticipated.

Please take note that your region, management procedures, and socioeconomic realities may change the cost, income, estimations, and assumptions in this fish farming business plan.

Catfish Farming Melange

After three months, a catfish farmer may choose to grow his catfish and sell it as a mélange. The short term is advantageous, and this may be beneficial.

If the catfish farmer sells his fish as mélange, he can still achieve Returns on Investment (ROI) of 40% to 50% after three months.

Some farmers find it far simpler to raise their fish and sell them as mélanges since they can avoid spending money on the costly feeds and fats needed to fatten their fish.

More information about Fish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria

Catfish characteristics.

The African catfish has an elongated body, small eyes with bones, and a rather large head. It is typically farmed in Nigeria and other African nations. Typically having long dorsal and anal fins, Nigerian catfish thrive in freshwater environments. It can also be grown in farms and at home. The catfish ranges in color from brown to black. The fish has a fairly whitish belly. The catfish uses its gills, which it expands and closes, to breathe.

Nigeria’s catfish heritage

In Nigeria’s freshwater bodies, catfish naturally exist. Over a century ago, Nigeria was where aquaculture first became a commercial endeavor. In Nigeria, people have been raising fish, particularly catfish, for decades.

Fish farmers have raised catfish extensively in both the southern and northern parts of Nigeria. Around 1950, catfish were domesticated for the first time in Nigeria. In South Africa, Ghana, the Congo DR, and other African nations, the same domestication trials were conducted at the same period.

The management of catfish farms, spawning, breeding, harvesting, and selling were all part of the catfish domestication experiments conducted in Nigeria in the 1950s.

Prior to some of them switching to aquaculture, the early fishermen in Nigeria caught catfish in rivers and other freshwater bodies using boats, nets, and hooks.

Nations that produce catfish

The world produces catfish in a number of different nations. Even in chilly nations like the UK, Netherlands, Canada, the US, and Belgium, catfish is raised and produced in vast quantities.

Catfish are produced in Nigeria and the majority of African nations. In Nigeria, catfish production is preferred by the majority of fish farmers.

Catfish Biology and Habitat

All of Africa is home to the African/Nigerian catfish. Nearly all of Nigeria’s nations are where it is found in its natural habitat. You can locate catfish in freshwater bodies in Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa, Congo, and Somalia, among other places. Additionally, catfish can be found in the waterways of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, etc. South American nations including Mexico, Brazil, Peru, and others have catfish. Additionally, China and Vietnam are home to catfish. In reality, several nations are now using catfish in their rice farming. It has been demonstrated that catfish farming increases rice productivity in China and certain other Asian nations.

Rivers, floodplains, lakes, streams, and wetlands all include catfish.

They have the ability to travel from larger bodies of water to flooded areas to mate and then return to their original habitat. Catfish migrate in uncultivated water primarily for reproductive purposes.

A catfish adult female may produce 60,000 eggs per kg. Catfish typically lay their eggs on vegetation near the bodies of water they inhabit. Juveniles that will subsequently mature into adults emerge after these eggs hatch (after 20–60 hours).

Manufacturing Systems

In Nigeria, catfish are raised in pits, ponds, concrete ponds, plastic tanks, fiberglass, etc. that are coated with tarpaulin. In addition to well-established catfish farms, fingerlings can also be found in Nigeria’s flooded plains close to rivers and dams.

Following the introduction of fingerlings to the farms, fish/soya meals and grain-based feeds are periodically fed to the fingerlings. These industrial techniques that are highlighted here are also used in other nations.

Supply of seeds, hatchery output, and nursery

When the surrounding environment is ideal, wide catfish will reproduce. These environmental factors include an increase in water level, suitable humidity and temperature, and the availability of enough water.

Hormones are used in aquaculture to help catfish reproduce. Ovaprim, Deoxycorticosterone Acetate (DOCA), and Human Chorionic Gonadotropin are some of these hormones (HCG). Having quality broodstock in catfish farming might determine whether a farmer makes a profit or a loss.

The Nigerian government supports a variety of studies to help the nation become self-sufficient in the production of high-quality broodstock for catfish farmers.

Nigeria has a variety of large and small hatcheries, however there aren’t enough of either in the nation. Catfish larvae are typically fed a combination of egg yolk and cow brain for 3–7 days in well-run hatcheries before being put in ponds at a density of 50–80 per square meter. Prior to adding the larvae, the ponds are enhanced with chicken manure to encourage zooplankton growth. In certain circumstances, netting and other materials are used to protect the ponds from predators.

The catfish postlarvae are often fed compound diets for 24-28 days. The fingerlings are graded and weighed after being harvested at the 28th day. In contrast, those weighing less than 6 grams may be fattened until they reach the appropriate weight of 6 grams before being sold to farmers who require them or transferred to production ponds. In the nursing of larvae, there is a 30 percent survival rate.

Large hatcheries operated by seasoned catfish farmers in Nigeria make use of intense recirculation systems. In these hatcheries, genetically enhanced broodstock is used along with live organisms as feed.

Brachionus, Moina, Daphnia, Artemia, and other live feeds are included. The success percentage of eggs to fry in these hatcheries is roughly 70%, and some have success rates of more than 80%.

The demand for catfish fingerlings is extremely high in Nigeria. It greatly outweighs the available supply of fingerlings. Many of the fingerlings sold in Nigeria are of poor quality and do not develop into large animals, which lowers farmers’ Returns on Investment (ROI).

In recirculating aquaculture systems, fry are fed artemia during the first 14 days. In the recirculation aquaculture system, biofilters are utilized to remove excess ammonia and nitrogen and the water temperature must not rise beyond 28 degrees Celsius.

In order to stop or avoid illnesses, the entire aquaculture system is cleaned and disinfected at the end of each cycle.

Catfish-growing techniques

There are several techniques for raising or farming catfish, which are described below:

Using earthen ponds

Catfish are frequently grown in earthen ponds in Nigeria. This kind of fish-growing technique is excavating a certain area of land and turning it into a pond where fish may be supplied, fed, and harvested once they are old enough.

In order for the harvest to coincide with holiday celebrations like Easter, Christmas, New Year’s, and Muslim festivals, fish are typically stocked in earthen ponds.

Due to the higher demand for their stock of fish throughout various seasons of the year, fish farmers anticipate making profits that are above average.

Chicken dung and other organic kitchen scraps, such as plantain and yam peels and food scraps, are frequently used to feed earthen ponds. The clay ponds can also be fertilized with compost. Fertilization enhances the growth of the zooplankton that fish can consume. The fish may gain weight as a result and see an improvement in their general health.

Grading of fish is done on occasion while using clay ponds to develop catfish in order to distinguish between larger and smaller fish. The larger fish can eat the smaller ones and diminish the pond owner’s potential profit.

When fish are sorted and separated in clay ponds, the smaller fish have a better chance of finding food since if they are kept with the bigger fish, they won’t be able to fish as effectively and may starve to death.

To prevent predators like snakes from accessing the clay ponds, nets should be utilized to guard and fence the ponds. The catfish can be prevented by the net from traveling to nearby water bodies to breed.

• Raceways and tanks

The majority of catfish farmers in Nigeria prefer to raise their fish in ponds. Due of its portability and ease of usage, tanks are frequently used in Nigeria’s metropolitan regions. Unlike the use of ponds, using tanks to cultivate catfish does not require any specialized knowledge or technicians. In contrast to ponds, technicians are required for pond building and mapping. Fish tanks are simple to purchase on the open market and may be put up in a short period of time.

The tank might be made of concrete, steel, or plastic. While the concrete fish tank must be erected on the premises, the plastic and steel tanks can be easily purchased from the open market.

In Nigeria, 400 catfish weighing between 5 and 15 grams apiece can be kept in a concrete tank measuring 4 by 3 by 1.3 meters. The fish can be harvested for 300–600 kg every cycle after six months of feeding. The fish farmer’s abilities and competence have an impact on the yield.

The innovative method of cultivating catfish that has been developed and implemented in Nigeria is the water recirculation system. With this novel technique, some farmers now raise catfish. There should be a supply of high-quality floating feed available for water recirculation systems, although this is a problem in some regions of Nigeria. The usage of a water recirculation system might not be successful without appropriate floating fish feed.

Due to the water’s inconsistent circulation throughout the system, there needs also be a sufficient supply of electricity.

A water pump and a biological filter made of plastic substrate are both common components of water recirculating systems. The density of fingerlings is 100–200 per cubic meter, with a recirculation rate of 2–10 litres per second. Every year, fish output rates of above 900 kg per cubic meter have been observed. Nigeria imports the majority of its floating fish feed, however some companies and fish farmers there make their own.

Since freshwater has a very low saline level, it is preferable to use it for recirculation aquaculture systems. Seawater is not good for catfish.

Plastic substrate biological filters are used to temporarily purify the water in the recirculating system. The system is housed in plastic tanks that are part of a fiberglass and concrete housing.

Recirculation aquaculture systems are much more intensive than tanks, and a farmer can collect up to 1,000 kg of fish per cubic meter of space using the former. The recirculation aquaculture technology also requires a modest amount of land. The intensive nature of recirculating aquaculture systems allows for a lot of productivity; nevertheless, using these systems in Nigeria may be expensive.

Plains Underwater

This type of catfish farming involves introducing fingerlings to flooded plains, which are typically particularly rich in zooplankton. This is possible in regions that yearly undergo seasonal flooding of plains. Due to the transport of debris and decomposing plant components, flooded plains are fertile for all forms of agriculture.

Another benefit of the flood plains is the natural recruitment of catfish fingerlings. The water that is released as a result of flood activity carries a variety of fish and their fingerlings. A portion of the flooded plains can be used by locals, who can then introduce their own catfish fingerlings and harvest the adults before the floodwaters recede at the end of the season.

This is a more affordable method of conducting aquaculture, particularly the rearing of catfish in Nigeria and other African nations with flooded plains that occur seasonally.

While using holes to produce catfish is uncommon in Nigeria, it is highly popular in nations in southern Asia like Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. This form of catfish-growing technique involves building or digging ditches that are 1 to 2,500 meters square, introducing fingerlings into these holes, pits, or ditches, then feeding them until they become adults and are harvested.

One gram of fingerlings per 40–80 cubic meters of space is stocked into the holes, and 200–300 grams of fish are anticipated to be harvested.

In this kind of growth environment, the fish have a survival rate of roughly 40%.

In Nigeria, catfish are also raised in cages. In open water areas like rivers and dams, catfish can be stocked in cages that have been submerged. The bodies of water must be freshwater. The biggest benefit of employing fish cages for fish raising is that the water doesn’t need to be changed because the water is constantly being replenished by flowing water.

In comparison to other techniques of catfish raising, cages can be a little easier to manage. The fish may be simply taken because they are gathered in the cages. Cages are relatively simple to purchase and install in bodies of water.

Catfish Feed

In Nigeria, traditional catfish feed is composed from ingredients like maize, wheat, rice bran, cornmeal, groundnut meal, and cottonseed meal. The grains are the source of the fish feed’s carbohydrates, while the protein comes from groundnut, fish, or soya bean meal. On their farms, several large catfish growers also prepare and pelletize their own meals. Typically, the meal has a 30-34 percent protein content. Brewery waste, poultry droppings, cocoa husk, coffee pulp, and other raw materials are utilized as ingredients in fish feed produced in farms. The production of fish can be fed with earthworms, crickets, termites, maggots, and other insects and worms.

The most popular source of protein for catfish bred and farmed in Nigeria and most other African nations is animal protein, such as fish meal and blood meal. When compared to other catfish fed with varied percentages of crude protein, catfish fed on feed with 34 percent to 43 percent crude protein frequently outperform them. Numerous studies have confirmed this reality.

Although the raw materials are nearly identical in recirculation systems, the types of feeds employed are considerably different from those in conventional systems. This is because the composition of the crude protein and other nutrients is different.

The majority of the packaged fish feed that is sold in Nigeria is imported.

Several businesses had intentions to begin manufacturing high-quality fish feed in Nigeria , but only a select handful have succeeded. Utilizing locally produced fish feed still raises certain difficulties for Nigerian fish producers.

Catfish collection techniques

With the use of hauling seines, catfish that are ready for the market can be gathered. The seine net is available in a variety of sizes, from very large to very small. Before purchasing the seine net, you must take into account the size of your pond or fish farm.

The fish can be sized after being hauled out for simpler pricing and sales. In Nigeria, harvested catfish are often sold by the kilogram.

However, some fish producers favor smoking their catfish to increase sales when business is slow.

Additionally, the pond may be drained to make all of the fish readily visible for simple catching. Some fish can conceal themselves in the dirt as well. The farmer will be able to dig through the mud and extract all of the catfish by draining the pond.

If a farmer uses a recirculation system or tanks, graded bars can also be employed for catfish partial harvesting. The larger fish are typically harvested using graded bars.

Processing and Handling

When not in water, the Nigerian catfish and kindred African catfish are exceptionally tough. The catfish’s body still has water on it, so they can go without it for days without suffering any major consequences. This makes handling catfish relatively simple. The caught catfish can be transported to the market for sale by being put onto trucks or placed in plastic bowls with little water. These enclosures can hold the catfish for days without any of them dying. Catfish are typically sold to ladies.

These women may work as brokers or as proprietors of bars and restaurants. In major cities and towns in Nigeria, women make up roughly 80% of the catfish customers. As was previously mentioned in this business strategy, some farmers favor smoking their collected catfish.

A catfish can be killed in a matter of minutes by salt that has been placed on its skin. In Nigeria, one of the most popular methods for killing catfish before processing is salt. The fresh catfish’s gills are removed, and they are then put in the conventional oven for smoking. Catfish that has been smoked can be kept for months without going bad.

Additionally, catfish can be made into fillets. Fresh catfish is adorned with pepper, onions, and sauce in restaurants and pubs in Nigeria before being roasted.

Delicious roasted catfish is frequently enjoyed with soda, beer, and juice. If you go to a pub or restaurant in Nigeria, you might see roasted catfish there.

In Nigeria, catfish is the fish of choice while cooking pepper soup. Nearly all Nigerians enjoy eating pepper soup, which is a delicacy.

Price of production

The price of producing catfish varies by location in Nigeria. The cost of labor is significantly higher in urban areas like Abuja and Lagos than it is in rural areas like Aiyetoro, Ogun state.

Because the majority of the feed producers are located in Lagos, the price of fish feed may also be lower there. However, the same product may be more expensive in rural parts of northern Nigeria due to the high cost of trucking feeds there from Lagos.

In Nigeria, the cost of feed continues to be the largest production expense for catfish. Between 50 and 75 percent of the overall cost of producing catfish in Nigeria goes toward feed. All catfish farmers express vehement dissatisfaction about the price of obtaining feed for their stock of catfish.

Farmers must deal with the high expenses of the industrially generated feeds because there are now no affordable and effective substitutes for the industrially produced feeds.

Farmers that use locally sourced feed frequently lament the underweight of their catfish and are frequently compelled to purchase fish feed made industrially. Other African nations’ catfish growers likewise bemoan the high price of fish feed. The importation of fish meal and other protein sources, the depreciation of the naira, and the high cost of power are the main causes of the high price of fish feed in Nigeria.

Diseases and Prevention Techniques

There are several diseases that can harm catfish, but if they are detected early enough, they can often be prevented and controlled. The following are descriptions of a few diseases:

Production, Market, and Trade Statistics

The Netherlands, the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and other countries offer sizable markets for African catfish; however, Nigerian catfish farmers have not been able to access these markets due to government red tape and a failure to meet the requirements required by these nations.

In Nigeria, the cost of a kilogram of catfish ranges from N400 to N700, depending on the buyer’s region and purchasing power. Local market vendors frequently attempt to negotiate steep discounts on fresh catfish from farmers. They employ a variety of tactics to unfairly overcharge for the just caught catfish.

Condition and Trend

The market for catfish in Nigeria will keep expanding because fish farmers there primarily only raise this one species of fish. In Nigeria, tilapia and croaker culture is uncommon. Any town or city in Nigeria is likely to have a large population of catfish farmers.

The growing demand for catfish in Nigeria is also a result of the country’s expanding population, rising rural-to-urban migration, and planned restrictions on fish imports.

Although over 65 percent of the catfish harvested in Nigeria is sold fresh, value addition to catfish is another factor contributing to its rising demand and consumption.

The main problems with Nigerian catfish farming

Land ownership is still a problem for catfish farming in Nigeria . Investors in fish farming frequently find it extremely difficult to buy farmlands in some places, such as Lagos, due to touts known as “omonile.” The omoniles can prevent you from gaining complete control of the farmland until you pay them an outrageous price known as a “owo ile” in the local lingo, even after you have paid the landowner and other costs that the government has stipulated.

Another significant concern in Nigerian catfish farming is pricing.

Some farmers still struggle to make ends meet because the local market vendors, who are frequently women, resort to all kinds of shady tactics to buy the caught catfish at exorbitant prices while fully aware that the farmer would prefer to sell the catfish rather than spend excessive amounts of money feeding the fish. There are times when the market women will offer to buy from the fish farmers at a predetermined price only to arrive at the farm and inform the farmers that they are unable to purchase at the predetermined price. The farmer may have gathered his fish with the expectation that the women would show up and make the agreed-upon purchase.

Aquaculture is not practiced in Nigeria due to the high cost of imported raw ingredients for catfish feed. Nigeria mostly imports its primary protein source for catfish feed from South Africa, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The local currency’s depreciation has increased the cost of importation, which is passed on to fish growers. However, catfish consumers do not want to accept the price increases brought on by the rising cost of catfish feed. As a result, catfish producers’ profits have decreased.

In places like Lagos, the water quality used for catfish aquaculture might be problematic. The cultivation of catfish may suffer as a result of the excessively saline water in some parts of Lagos.

Ethical methods for raising catfish

Farmers of catfish should make an effort to abide by all the laws and regulations of the nation and region they operate in. In several states in Nigeria, catfish growers are required to get governmental permissions before they can engage in fish farming. Small fish producers are not eligible for these permits. To be on the safe side and avoid engaging in activities that would be considered criminal where they operate, the huge catfish growers might need to apply for these licences. For instance, catfish farming is not allowed in several residential districts of Lagos Island in the state of Lagos.

Farmers of catfish should also use and dispose of water responsibly (including waste water). Effluents shouldn’t be dumped into waterways since they can affect wildlife, vegetation, and people who utilize the water. Fish farm waste needs to be properly disposed of.

Farmers of catfish are also encouraged to join cooperatives or associations because there is power in numbers. Dealing with cooperatives and associations is preferred by governments and non-governmental organizations (NGO). They may provide loans, grants, and other forms of support to cooperatives or association members. Rarely do they deal with specific catfish farms.

Tilapia Rearing

Tilapia is a member of the cichlid fish family . Tilapias are freshwater fish that can be found primarily in lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams. They can be discovered in brackish water as well. Tilapia is appropriate for both industrial and small-scale fish production. Although tilapia farming is not widespread in Nigeria, several African nations have adopted the practice.

The Nile Tilapia is the species of tilapia that is most frequently raised in Africa, including Nigeria. The breed of this species that is best suited for farming. Since tilapia are omnivores, they can consume both meat and vegetables in their diets.

Although it can be more difficult than catfish farming, tilapia farming can be quite profitable. This is especially true in the area of fish sex management.

Tilapia breeding

Male tilapia fish are typically kept by tilapia growers. I have never come across a commercial tilapia aquaculture operation that had females on hand. Due to the size of male tilapia, which might increase the farmer’s income, they primarily keep males. Additionally, because female tilapia are so prolific, keeping them will result in an overabundance of little fish in your pond, which is bad for the overall health of the fish population.

The many techniques for breeding male tilapia progeny are listed below:

Utilizing methyltestosterone (MT)

Methyltestosterone is introduced to the food of the young tilapia fish in this method. As a result, the males remain men and the females develop into males. Methyltestosterone merely turns a female’s sex to a man. It contains a hormone that alters sex. After 30 days, methyltestosterone does not remain in the fish’s body, making it safe to consume.

This process exclusively results in guys with YY chromosomes. To generate solely male tilapia fish, a sex-detection method is used.

Although it is a highly laborious process, men and females can also be separated from one another in the hatchery.

Techniques for Growing Tilapia

Ponds can be used to cultivate tilapia. Ponds may be man-made or natural. Fish are kept or raised in man-made bodies of water known as artificial ponds. For pond-cultured tilapia, the primary inputs are vegetation, bran, chaff, manures, feed, and inorganic fertilizers.

Fertilizers and animal dung promote the development of zooplankton, which tilapia can consume. The growth of planktons high in protein can raise the yield of the pond. One of the most nutrient-dense manures for tilapia pond culture in Nigeria is chicken manure.

When employing manure, the pond’s level of oxygen content needs to be checked. Excessive manure application can reduce the oxygen content of the water and have a negative effect on the pond’s fish population.

The yield of tilapia per hectare can be increased by about 4 tonnes in 150 days by applying 220 kg of chicken manure per week per hectare along with 28 kg of urea and 7 kg of Triple Super Phosphate (TSP) per week per hectare. If this yield is annualized, it can be increased by about 10 tonnes in a year.

If the soil is acidic, the pond needs to be limed. Every day, the pond’s dissolved oxygen concentration should range from 5 to 15%.

Aquatic cages

In bodies of water, metallic-made cages called floating cages are positioned. These cages house tilapia fish until they are harvested. The main benefit of the floating cage is that the water does not need to be changed frequently, however there is a problem with the cage’s effluents polluting the water body.

Raffia and other hardwood materials can also be used to construct cages, although these cages are not as durable as those made with iron rods.

Other advantages of a floating cage include:

• Diseases in the fish can be closely watched.
• The amount of money required for floating cage culture is not very high.
• Harvesting is relatively inexpensive.

These are the drawbacks of floating cage culture:

• Thieves or predators may harm the cage.
• A greater danger of disease outbreak exists.
• Feeding costs could be more expensive.

Raceways and tanks can also be used to cultivate tilapia. The volume of these tanks and raceways can range from 10 to 1000 cubic meters.

Recirculation techniques

Tilapia stock is intensively managed using the recirculation system. The fish rearing tanks, biofilter, solid removal apparatus, aerator, and degassing unit are the main elements of a recirculation system.

The biofiliter cleans the system of undesired debris and substances like ammonia. The fish are raised in the fish raising tank. The solid removal apparatus removes undesired solids from the recirculation system while the aerator increases the system’s oxygenation.

To ensure that the water is free of ammonia and other undesired pollutants, the recirculation system makes sure that clean water is used to replace the waste water each day. The fish in the system may experience issues from ammonia-rich water, and they may even perish.

Tilapia harvesting techniques

Seine nets can be used to catch tilapia in ponds, just like catfish can. When fish enter the seine nets, which can be dispersed over the pond, the net’s rope is dragged in order to catch the fish.

Some seine nets can be left out overnight to catch the pond’s fish. To find the fish that may have hidden in the dirt, the pond may need to be dug out.

The nets are available in various sizes. Some types of nets can only be handled by numerous persons, but others are larger and can only be handled by one person.

In several African and Nigerian cultures, tilapia is also harvested using baskets. The raffia-woven baskets have a cylindrical shape that prevents fish from being able to escape once they get inside.

Tilapia can also be harvested by hand, particularly in cultures that emphasize intensive farming. The technology allows for the fish to be captured in an enclosure so that each one may be manually selected.

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Well done. The above analysis and business plan for fish farming in Nigeria, happen to be among the best I have come across. With little help a novice can apply this knowledge and succeed.

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• Smoked fish in nigeria: a thriving industry
• Smokedbyewe

Nigeria, the largest producer of African catfish in the world, boasts a thriving smoked fish industry that caters to both local and international markets. Smoked fish, particularly catfish, is a highly popular and sought-after delicacy in Nigeria. In addition to meeting domestic demand, Nigeria also exports smoked fish to neighboring countries and the Nigerian diaspora in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.

The Rise of Nigeria's Catfish Industry

Export market expansion, productivity enhancement, marketing and product diversification, environmental sustainability, frequently asked questions, in conclusion.

Nigeria's catfish industry has experienced significant growth in recent years. Catfish, a commercially important freshwater fish species in Africa, has become the fish of choice for many Nigerians. The government recognizes the potential of aquaculture in creating job opportunities, particularly for women and youth, and aims to increase self-sufficiency in fish production to meet the high demand.

The government actively promotes the consumption of fish through initiatives such as school feeding programs, highlighting the health benefits of including fish in the diet. This has further increased the popularity of fish, including smoked fish, among the Nigerian population.

FISH4ACP: Boosting Nigeria's Catfish Sector

In a bid to enhance the catfish sector, Nigeria is implementing the FISH4ACP program. This program aims to improve access to key export markets, increase productivity, and support the production of high-quality fish seed and feed. By enhancing competitiveness through marketing and product diversification, FISH4ACP seeks to strengthen the catfish industry's position in both local and international markets.

One of the key objectives of the FISH4ACP program is to facilitate the entry of Nigerian smoked fish into new export markets. By meeting international quality standards and ensuring the sustainability of farming practices, Nigeria can tap into the growing global demand for smoked fish.

FISH4ACP also focuses on improving productivity within the catfish sector. This includes providing support for the production of high-quality fish seed and feed, as well as promoting efficient farming practices. By enhancing productivity, Nigeria can meet the increasing demand for catfish and smoked fish, both domestically and internationally.

To increase competitiveness, FISH4ACP emphasizes marketing and product diversification. By promoting the unique qualities of Nigerian smoked fish and exploring new product offerings, the industry can attract a wider customer base. This not only boosts sales but also contributes to the overall growth and sustainability of the catfish sector.

The FISH4ACP program recognizes the importance of environmental sustainability in the catfish industry. By promoting responsible farming practices and ensuring proper waste management, Nigeria aims to safeguard the long-term viability of fish production. This commitment to sustainability not only protects the environment but also enhances the reputation of Nigerian smoked fish in the global market.

While catfish is the most popular fish smoked in Nigeria, other commonly smoked fish species include tilapia, mackerel, and herring.

In Nigeria, smoking fish involves a traditional method using a smoker made from locally sourced materials. The fish is typically marinated in a mixture of spices and salt before being hung in the smoker and exposed to smoke from burning wood or charcoal.

Smoked fish is a good source of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and various vitamins and minerals. It is believed to promote heart health, boost brain function, and support overall well-being.

Nigerian smoked fish can be found in local markets across the country. It is also available for purchase online, allowing Nigerians in the diaspora to enjoy this delicacy.

Smoked fish, particularly catfish, holds a special place in Nigeria's culinary culture. With the support of initiatives like FISH4ACP, the country's catfish sector is thriving and poised for further growth. By focusing on export market expansion, productivity enhancement, marketing, and sustainability, Nigeria aims to strengthen its position as a leading producer and exporter of high-quality smoked fish. As the demand for smoked fish continues to rise, Nigeria's smoked fish industry is set to flourish, providing economic opportunities and satisfying the taste buds of fish enthusiasts both locally and globally.

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How To Start Dried & Smoked Catfish Business In Nigeria Or Africa: Guide

How To Start Dried & Smoked Catfish Business In Nigeria Or Africa: Guide | Image Source: MyIngredientsNG

The catfish trade is a lucrative business in Nigeria and many other parts of the world as over 2.7 million metric tons of fishes are produced globally with catfishes accounting for about 62% of the volume produced in Africa—over 1.8 million metric tons of catfishes.

Nigeria is the highest producer of catfishes globally and a large percentage of this catfishes are further smoked, dried and exported to neighbouring African countries and a few other countries located in Europe & Asia, thus making the smoked catfish business a attractive venture for many entrepreneurs in Nigeria and other places.

If you’re looking to trade in catfishes but want to be able to ship commodities that are well preserved and can have a high processed value, starting a dried and smoked catfish business in Nigeria, Africa, and other places around the world is a great move to make.

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Dry Kpomo (Cow Skin) Farming Business In Nigeria: The Complete Guide

What Is Dried And Smoked CatFish?

Dried and smoked catfish is a type of fish that has undergone a particular processing method. These processes include having the fish put in sunlight or a similar condition as a way of preserving it or manually smoking it by exposure to smoke from wood or plant material with the same purpose for future usage.

What Is Dried And Smoked Catfish Trading?

Dried and smoked catfish trading is the buying or processing and selling of dried and smoked catfish with the goal of making a profit.

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Bread Supply Business In Nigeria: The Complete Guide

Business Opportunities Available In Dried And Smoked Catfish

1). source of food:.

Catfish is a high source of protein and vitamins and has been a delicacy for years, and it is widely and generally consumed. 

2). Animal Feeds: 

Smoked catfish is also a source of animal feed for pet animals like dogs and cats.

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Apple Farming Business In Nigeria: The Complete Guide

Facts And Benefits Of Catfish Trading Business

• Catfish last longer in this form
• Catfish is rich in proteins, thus helping to build strong muscles
• Catfish helps protect the eyes and aids vision
• Catfish helps boost immunity
• Smoked catfish is easy to trade in warm climates like Africa
• Smoking the fish is said to improve its flavour
• Catfish are carnivores (meat-eaters).
• There are nearly 2,900 species of catfish in existence today.
• Catfish can live up to 60 years depending on the location and species
• The name catfish refers to the long barbels, or feelers, which are present about the mouth of the fish and resemble cat whiskers.

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Lettuce Farming Business In Nigeria: The Complete Guide

How To Set Up A Dried And Smoked Catfish Trading Business: Step By Step Guide

1). process/acquire catfish:.

There are two specific ways to go about the dried & smoked catfish business; the first is obtaining fresh catfish which can be bought then processed into the dried or smoked form. This would involve getting a drying machine.

The other approach consists of acquiring already dried or smoked catfish and then reselling them.

2). Market Your Dried & Smoked Catfish:

You need to rent a store in a very busy environment. It could be in a market place or a highly trafficked environment.

Since food items like this sell very quickly in busy environments, you too can take advantage of crowded places to setup shop.

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Moringa Farming Business In Nigeria: The Complete Guide

Challenges Of Dried & Smoked Catfish Business In Nigeria

Here are some challenges that can affect starting the dried & smoked catfish business in Nigeria, Africa, or many other places around the world:

• Lack of government support
• Lack of funding for large scale production
• Lack of highly equipped storage facilities 
• Poor funding of research activities
• Lack of easy access to the international market
• Lack of adequate widespread knowledge on how to produce high-quality products
• Lack of funds to import international standard processing machinery
• Thieves and criminals
• Inconsistent price mechanism 

See Also: How To Start A Lucrative Duck Farming Business In Nigeria: The Complete Guide

To Sum It Up

The dried & smoked catfish business in Nigeria can be a lucrative and profitable venture to start-up, due to its vast market demand and on your own ability to build a wide supply chain network. If you’re looking for a food-based business to venture into, the dried & smoked catfish business in Nigeria is a great option to explore.

Trying To Secure A Business Loan? Finance? Or Investment? You can now greatly increase your chances of geting the loan/investment you need with our bank and investor ready professional MBA standard business plan writing service Writing a bank and investor ready professional dried & smoked catfish business plan can be challenging. If you need a professional and affordable business plan service, StartupTipsDaily’s MBA standard professional business plan writing service  is perfect for your small business. All you have to do is request an understanding of your proposed business model, and you’d have a professional MBA standard business plan ready for you in anywhere from 5 to 14 days.  You can click here to get started with using StartupTipsDaily’s professional business plan writing service to create the perfect business plan that’d get accepted anywhere.

What are your thoughts on how to start a dried & smoked catfish business in Nigeria or Africa? Let me know by leaving a comment below.

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Resources for Students and Project Managers

Fish Farming (Aquaculture)

Fish Farming

Fish farming manual and business plan PDF/Word

CONTENTS INTRODUCTION Current Situation of aquaculture in Nigeria Aquaculture Production in Nigeria Aquaculture Policy Environment at National and State Levels Success potential Skills and abilities for success Production feasibility

==>CLICK HERE TO CHAT US ON WHATSAPP FOR BUSINESS PLANS & GET A DISCOUNT<==

MARKET ANALYSIS Overview Product description Financial projections Competitors marketing analysis Proposed Marketing Strategy

TECHNICAL ANALYSIS Operational Details and Structure Machinery/Equipment Requirements, housing, drugs and feeding Raw materials and sources

MANPOWER REQUIREMENT, MANAGEMENT AND ORGANIZATION Management Personnel requirement Organization structure

INVESTMENT ANALYSIS Mathematical formula for catfish cost production in Nigeria Capital/initial Cost Pre-Operating Expenses

Cost production of 50,000 fingerlings Hatchery unit and expected returns (cost of feed, cost of fingerlings, survival rates and sale price of the catfish) in a year

Cost production of 50,000 Grow-out pond unit and expected returns (cost of feed, cost of fingerlings, survival rates and sale price of the catfish) in a year

Cost production of 50,000 smoked fish and expected returns (cost of smoking, weight after smoking, and price of smoked fish)

TOPICS COVERED

HOW TO IMPLEMENT THE BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

Introduction

Commercial Fish Production

Sustainable aquaculture production

Why some fish farmers fail

Sitting the farm

POND REQUIREMENTS, DESIGNS, CONSTRUCTION AND POND TYPES

Earthen pond

Re-circulatory system

Flow through system (Concrete tank, plastic tanks or vat)

REPRODUCTION IN CATFISH

Choosing Your Male & Female Brood Stock

Injecting the Female Fish

Getting the Male Sperm

Stripping the Female Fish

Mixing Sperm with Eggs & Spreading Inside the Vat

Feeding the Fries

Daily schedules of works in trough rearing of fries

Sorting: A Necessary Factor

Operational cost for fingerlings production

Diseases of fingerlings

Transportation of fish

MANAGEMENT OF TABLE SIZES

Water quality/quantity

Stocking Good quality fingerling/juvenile

Feeds, feeding and feed milling

Feed formulation and processing

Feed formulation table from 2month old fish and above

An example are as shown below (this is a proven formula) for a tone (1000kg)

Culturing tilapia for feeding your fish

Handling, sampling and harvesting

Catfish health

Practical preventive measures

Predators and their Control

RUNNING A FISH FARM AS A BUSINESS

Running a fish farm as a business

Operational cost for stocking 3,000 catfish

Cost of Pond construction

Frequently asked question and answers

Fish Feed Dealers in Nigeria

Fish farming consists of two major subdivisions, which could either be operated separately or as an integrated process. The two subdivisions are the nursery and the grow-out pond operation.

The nursery operation is the basis for the grow-out operation and as such it cannot be operated without the nursery. The nursery involves the inducement of the female fish to lay eggs, which are then fertilized; incubated and hatched fish are known as fries.

These fries are then nurtured fro between three and four weeks into fingerlings which is the size suitable for use in the fish grow-out operation. In-between the nursery and grow-out operation is what the purpose of this manual referred to as the primary operation.

It involves the nurturing of the three or four weeks within which they could grow into post fingerlings, mini juveniles

and juveniles respectively. These can be nurtured for four to five month into grow-out or

table size fish suitable for sale and consumption. Going in catfish farming involves the

Step one: planning for Fish Farming Business, a vital step .

Here, one has to determine whether one wants to go into a big or small-scale commercial

venture, secondly, the pond system to adopt, Re-circulatory system, earthen pond or

concrete/plastic pond or both.

Step two: land, a very critical aspect of your fish farming business

This is very important. One has to acquire at least full plot of land in a suitable location. This

means, you must consider good access road, closeness to market and labour. If the land is

already available, it is good. Then we apportion it as follows:

1. Location of ponds

2. Location of farm house.

3. Location of water supply

4. Location of drainage facility. (The last point is very important, as you don’t drain your water to constitute

public nuisance).

Step Three: Water supply Source in your Fish Farming Business

The best water for fish farming is from bore hole. One or two must be sunk to guarantee

steady water supply. Overhead tanks for holding water should also be installed. The

mechanism of pumping of water must be backed up. The system must not fail.

Step Four: Pond Construction

It is advisable to engage the service of a consultant. The success or failure of this project

depends largely on construction of standard ponds that can stand the test of time. Common causes or failure in catfish farming include over stocking, poor quality feeds, water pollution

and bad specie of catfish fingerlings.

construction.

Here are details of catfish farming

1. They can be easily farmed at the family backyard

2. Cost of medication is very negligible in fish farming and it is a good poverty alleviation

activity to stem rural-urban migration

3. Rearing of fish for local consumption will decrease importation of frozen fish chicken and

turkey into the country and producing fish for export will greatly enhance our economic

potential. It will firm up the naira, improve the GDP, reduce inflation and create more jobs

for Nigerians. Over a million jobs can be created in the fish industry alone.

The Concept of Commercial Fish Production

The objective of commercial fish farming is to produce fish to supply markets at a

competitive price and make a profit. The market is therefore, the driving force for

commercial fish farming. The key parameters that determine the levels of production and success in fish farming are water quality, feed quality and seed quality. How one manages these parameters vis-à-vis the prevailing market demand and prices determines the viability

of a commercial fish farm.

SUSTAINABLE AQUACULTURE PRODUCTION

The catfish production technology discussed in this manual is feed based and built upon the

principles of sustainable aquaculture. Sustainable aquaculture as applied in this technology

package is ‘an adaptable aquaculture production technology system whose ecological and

economic viability persists indefinitely’. Fish are greatly affected by the environment in

which they are grown. An aquatic ecosystem is extremely dynamic, changing with nutrient

inputs, weather and season. The effects of the changes are even more pronounced in artificial

systems like fish farms where man influences what organisms and other inputs are added to

the culture environment .Fish growth and survival are closely related to water quality

.Furthermore, fish are cold-blooded animals. All of their bodily functions are directly

influenced by the temperature of the environment. So, while the markets determine

aquaculture opportunity, the ecological and economic principles determine the choices for

sustainable aquaculture e practices and technology. Therefore, users of the manual are

encouraged to understand the principles upon which this catfish farming production

technology is based. This is because, the specific environment where the farm is located

defines what additional opportunities and constraints in production one is likely to encounter.

Farmers are therefore encouraged to be observant and continue to make adaptations, in order

to enhance the productivity and profitability of their specific enterprises.

1. Poor Farm Sitting: Such as in a place with inadequate water supply, poor soils for pond

construction (e.g. may be rocky), far away from markets and/or supplies, etc.

2. Poor farm and facility design: Ponds not compacted properly, leak a lot, may be too

shallow, and consequently construction and maintenance costs become too high while

optimum yields are not achieved, Poor accessibility to ponds, requiring workers to walk

across difficult terrain to transfer fish from pond to vehicle or vice-versa. 3. Poor Investment Plan: Several farmers assume that to be a commercial fish farmer one

must have several large ponds. Hence, they construct many ponds at once, which constrain

their cash flow. Because of this, some farmers take a while to start production or may only

afford to start production in one pond after all the investment.

4. Start production before knowing what management options are available or Start looking

for the market for fish when the fish is ready for sale. Meanwhile, because they are still

feeding, the pond attains its maximum loading and fish stop growing. The longer the fish stay

in the pond after they have stopped growing, the smaller the profit margin.

6. Do not employ the right people. Entrepreneurs use other peoples time, i.e. employ the right

people. Hiring family members who have little or no desire to learn proper fish farming

techniques is a liability because most people find it difficult to dismiss them even after it has

become apparent that they are the reason for the poor performance of the fish farm.

7. Irregular and improper feeding. This ranges from complete lack of knowledge about the

nutritional requirements and feeding of catfish to attempts at saving money by using cheap

feeds. Some farmers just do not feed their fish because they think fish will grow as long as

they are in water. They do not realize that like all animals, best performance would be

obtained if the fish have a balanced diet and that the feed needs to be palatable, easily

digestible and does not disintegrate into the water before the fish can consume it. For the

same reasons that the majority of poultry farmers would not think it wise to feed layers maize

bran, a commercial fish farmer should not believe they can get the best production results by

feeding catfish maize bran only. If one intends to increase production and profit margins from

producing eggs, then it is well known that the best way would be to feed the layers with

quality layers mash and not growers mash. Likewise, fish should be fed with the correct feed

of the right quality.

8. Do not appreciate that different management levels have different requirements which

consequently affects stocking rates. As in cattle, for example, the management requirements

and stocking rates for ranching are different from zero grazing because of the limits to which

the animals reared under the different systems can get access to adequate feed to cater for their maintenance and production needs. The same applies in fish farming. Stocking rates are a function of the specific management regime.

9. Being more impressed with harvesting the few large fish rather than looking at the overall picture and appreciating total tonnage at harvest. If you had a sow that ate all its piglets and grew nice and fat; would you be happy? Or would you rather have several but smaller animals of a reasonable size for sale rather than one giant? Survival rates and average fish size matter when raising table-fish, because profit margins above operational costs generally range between 30 to 40% depending on one’s market. The net income is therefore largely a function of turnover.

10. Wrong objectives for investing in aquaculture. Some do it simply because their friends are doing it or because they are targeting ‘free’ funds from donors or government. Nothing in this world is free. Always watch out for the hidden costs before making a final decision.

Related posts:

• Poultry Farming (Broilers & Layers)
• Grasscutter Farming
• Cattle Rearing (Fattening)

By BPN Staff

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How I plan to export smoked, well-packaged fishes to other countries – Farmer

Starting a business and nurturing it to an enviable height is the greatest challenge of many entrepreneurs, with many businesses going under just after a few years of establishment. For Mr Aleke Godslove Obinna , who is a fish farmer he started his small business with just 500 fishes in 2016 as a hotel manager and out of joy, hopes to start exporting to foreign countries “if he finds the right sponsorship”.  PAUL OKAH  reports.

Obioma is a native of Amasiri in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi state, but based in Calabar, Cross River state. He is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Obibet Enterprises, a fish processing company operating from Calabar. 

According to him, starting his fish farm with just 500 fishes was not a major challenge as he believes in hardwork and is ready to export smoked and well packaged fishes to all parts of the world if he gets the right sponsorship.

While recounting to  Business Starter , Obinna, who was brimming with optimism, said that laziness is not an option for him as he quickly established his fish farm, Obibet Enterprises, after being trained in fish farming even as he was managing one of the hotels in Calabar then, but hopes to take the business to an international level in due time.

In the beginning

According to Obinna, his beginning will forever be etched in his memory as he set out to add to humanity with his fishes at the earliest opportunity he got after his training in 2016.

“My company name, Obibet, is a combination of my name, Obinna and my wife’s name, Betty, so I decided to brand the company with our two names to form Obibet Enterprises. Obibet Enterprises is all about seafood production as well as local food packaging, which I plan to launch in future, when my plans of expansion comes to fruition. I registered it with the Corporate Affairs Commission on 23rd September, 2019.

“For the records, in 2016, I started my own little fish farm with just 500 fishes after being trained in fish farm by an organisation in Calabar, Cross River state, where I am presently based. In fact, when the fishes got to the table, I started thinking of the value I could add to the fish, in order to be different from every other fish farmers. 

“By way of doing something different from others, I decided to smoke and package the fish and after doing that, it was nice and appetizing. That was how the business started, with my being innovative and applying ideas different from others,” he said.

Obinna says he will never rest until his fishes make their way to different parts of the world, even as he reveals plans to employ many people to ensure adequate reach with the right sponsorship from government, banks and private individuals.

“Being a new innovative business, I actually use my little savings to finance the business for now. However, I have plans for expansion. I plan to have distributors all over Nigeria and beyond. I seriously plan branches in different states. I have just one person under my employ at the moment.

“However, I plan to employ more people in the future, with my plan to expand the business as well as having distributors all over the country. I will definitely do well if I am sponsored. I’m looking for sponsorship from individuals, corporate entities, banks and government.”

Only fish as protein

He added: “Particularly, my Dry Catfish Nkwobi is appetising, but I know I can do more with sponsorship. In fact, I plan to have an Obibet Fish World, like a restaurant, where you come and eat good local food with only fish as protein. If you want the fish dried, fresh, fried or barbecued, we will be glad to be of service.

“Our products are very affordable. Even our local market women can afford it to sell in our local markets. Also, I can supply quantities at short notice across the country or even export abroad. However, for now, we give 3 to 4 working days to supply in Nigeria from the demand date. As we grow, we look forward to supply in tonnes for I have had people calling from South Africa demanding in tonnes.”

Packaging  

Hygiene is a major concern to many people when considering patronage, but Obinna says that there is nothing to bother about as hygiene is the watchword and number one consideration at Obibet Enterprises.

“Obibet fish is prepared in a very clean environment. From the pond, we proceed to a processing basin, where we open the belly of the fishes to bring out the waste. Thereafter, we proceed to the oven and then pack the fishes for supply. In all these processes, there is no sand or flies perching on the fishes at all. Everything is clean and geared towards the satisfaction of our customers.

“Even at this period of COVID-19 pandemic, we ensure that we maintain proper hand-washing hygiene and that the environment and equipment are clean at all times, in order to avoid infections of any type. You need to visit our small, but well kept offices to understand the precautions we take,” he said. 

Despite being a new business, Obinna says his major challenge is getting sponsorship for expansion, especially as many people with better resources have started stealing his innovative ideas.

“My challenges are many, bordering on sponsorship. I am packaging the fishes for now in branded packs, but buying the packs is not easy at all as they cost a lot. Also, I need sealing machine to perfect the products. Even buying smoking machine is in my budget, but it is all about the money.

“To be honest, I feel so bad. As I speak with you now, I know a lot of people making money from packaging fishes, which I introduced. In fact, many of them even call me to get information on how to go about the packaging. I’m sure most of them have gotten sponsors to take their businesses to the next level, so I hope to get sponsorship to implement most of my business ideas,” he said.

Obinna says he has made efforts to ensure he gets the necessary sponsorship, starting with Ebonyi state governor, Engr. Dave Umahi, but appealed to different organisations to invest in his business; in order to recoup gains in the coming years.

He said: “My advice to organisations or individuals looking for businesses to sponsor is that they should look deep and see a business with great prospects and invest in it. For instance, at Obibet Enterprises, we have all it takes to break new grounds if we get sponsorship, who can invest in our company. 

“The quality of our products speak volumes of the corresponding cash flow in the event that individuals or even organisations  accept to sponsor our company.

“If partners empower my fish business, surely, I’ll expand and achieve my dream of taking the fish business to a different level in seafood packaging. I will create more employment opportunities for our people as well as sponsor other young entrepreneurs. 

“However, I shall first and foremost discuss and agree on the terms of the partners’ empowerment  and possibly sign an MOU with the partners; in the event that we unanimously resolve to partner in moving the business forward.”

He added: “My appeal to Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state is to sponsor my business ideas; in order to enable me establish this business in my state of origin. At the moment, I am only operating from Calabar. Fortunately, sometime last year, the governor had a taste of Obibet fish from me in person. 

“I presented the fish to him in his home town at Uburu sometime last year. Alongside other government officials in his house, the governor tasted the fish I presented to him and was very happy.

“He even promised to financially empower me to establish the business in Ebonyi state, so I was indeed very happy. However, I’m still patiently waiting for that empowerment to move the business forward.”

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Smoked Catfish Business In Nigeria – A Surprising Wealth Source!

• February 6, 2023
• sea food business

Table of Contents

Smoked Catfish Business In Nigeria – An Untapped Source Of Revenue.

Nigeria is known as a leading producer of African Catfish around the world. And the second-highest producer of aquaculture in all of Africa .  Yet the biggest global exporter of African catfish are destinations like Ghana, Senegal, Cameroon, and Cote d’Ivoire . These countries often buy the same catfish from Nigeria at a lower price and further export it to Europe, making greater revenue.

So what are these countries doing that Nigeria isn’t?

The simple answer is the Smoked catfish business.

In the previous articles, we discussed how to set up a catfish farm. But it wouldn’t be a lie if I said that farming catfish isn’t meant for all.

While it is highly profitable and can return your investment within a few months, It requires a much larger vision, passion, and a huge amount of determination and dedication to run a sustainable smoked catfish business.

Yes indeed, the Smoked catfish business is a lot different, and if you are doing it the right way, it might seem a lot easier too.

But what is the right way?

In this post, we have attempted to describe the essential elements that you would need to follow through in order to set up a successful smoked catfish business in Nigeria.

So let us find out!

Phase 1 – Planning

– determining your investment:.

To start any successful business in this world, you need to first set out an initial capital that we call – Investment. This initial amount of money will determine how big or small your business setup will be. And in the case of the smoked catfish business, it will also determine how much profit you will make because the bigger the investment, the bigger the profit. However, that does not mean that you can not start small. It just means that this business will give you all the right reasons to scale it bigger in the long run.

– Comprehending The Requirements Of A Catfish Smoking Plant:

To set up your own catfish smoking plant, you will need the following: – Adequate space to cure, smoke, dry, package, and store the catfish. – Fresh catfish and other ingredients are needed to kill and cure the fish. – Smoke kilns to smoke the fish. – Packaging equipment, like packaging material, sealers, etc.

– Weighing The Risks Involved In The Smoked Catfish Business:

1. Health risks: Smoked fish can carry harmful bacteria and parasites if not handled and stored properly.

2. Regulations: The production and sale of smoked fish are subject to various health and food safety regulations that must be adhered to.

3. Quality control: Maintaining consistent quality and flavour can be challenging, especially if there are fluctuations in the quality of the raw materials.

4. Marketing: Effective marketing is necessary to build brand recognition and increase sales.

– Getting To Know The Smoked Catfish Market And Its Trends:

1. Increased demand: The demand for smoked fish has increased, driven by its popularity as a healthy and flavorful food option.

2. Artisanal production: There is a growing trend towards artisanal and handcrafted production methods as consumers seek more authentic and high-quality products .

3. Sustainability: Consumers are increasingly interested in products that are sustainably produced, so sustainable processing methods are becoming more important.

4. Health-conscious: The health-conscious trend has increased the popularity of smoked catfish as a low-fat, high-protein food option.

5. Convenience: The demand for convenient and ready-to-eat products is growing, and smoked catfish can be packaged in various forms to meet this demand.

6. Online sales: The growth of online sales channels and budding awareness about selling seafood online has helped expand the market .

7. Different flavours: The creation of new flavours and taste profiles is a growing trend in the smoked fish market as companies seek to differentiate their products from competitors.

Phase 2 – Setting up:

In our previous article about the Smoked Catfish business, we discussed in depth how to preserve, process, and pack catfish .

But today we will only be discussing the most neglected areas of the setting up of a smoked catfish business in Nigeria and why they are important.

– Finding The Right Catch One huge myth about smoked catfish and its processing is that it includes the use of par rotten or near to rotting produce.

While the truth is that the one and only key to delicious, healthy, and long-lasting Smoked catfish is nothing but FRESH catfish.

Smoking fish is not a way to make a quick buck on rotten or average produce. It’s a lucrative business that runs entirely on demand from its customers that are willing to pay good money for a healthy and perfectly charred piece of smoked catfish.

So the first and foremost thing one needs to do is get in touch with a catfish farm. In case you are running one yourself, you have nothing to worry about.

If that isn’t the case, then make sure to survey a few catfish farms around you.

Other than examining the catch/produce, below are a few things you should definitely keep in mind before sealing the deal:

– Look at their feed and the condition of the farm. – Make sure they have a third-party veteran on board. – Overview of their general work ethics.

These will help you judge the overall health of the product and whether or not these farms are capable of malpractice in the future.

Another thing to take into consideration is the size of the produce. This depends on what your target audience is. Some people like bigger pieces, while some prefer smaller, individually sized pieces. This will require a bit of research on your end.

Pro Tip- Make sure to finalize more than one farm or seller. So in case one fails to provide the right products, your business is not affected.

– Finding The Right Equipment The most important factor in running the smoked catfish business is finding the right equipment. Be it for drying the fish, smoking the fish, or simply brining the fish.

While brining only requires a huge tumbler, smoking and drying need some technical types of equipment that not only dry and smoke the catfish but also ensure they are doing it without disrupting the catfish’s quality.

For smoking, you can find several kilns or ovens available in the market. Depending on your budget, you can even make one according to your business needs. See also our detailed article on “ Catfish Smoking Machines ”

Some types of Smoking equipment include: – brick kilns – wood fire kilns – Coal kilns – Gas kilns – Open fire

All of these options have their own pros and cons. Deciding which one to use depends on your investment, space, and the acquired taste of the clients.

– Importance Of Storage Then comes probably the most neglected step in Smoked Catfish Business. Most people assume that since the fish is smoked and dried, it can not be contaminated.

It may not contaminate as easily, but if not handled well, it can become a carrier for contamination. It’s the food we are talking about, and it’s obvious that all sorts of animals and insects get attracted to it.

It’s highly necessary to have a well-ventilated room for the storage of smoked catfish. The room should be equipped with dry and less humid conditions.

– Measures To Prevent Disease And Decay There are 4 things that can help keep the smoked catfish from spreading any disease or decaying:

1. Safe transportation of fresh produce: As emphasized earlier, fresh produce is key for good quality smoked catfish. But in order to retain its freshness, transportation of the catch in a safe and quality-controlled environment is key.

Because as soon as the catfish is out of the water, the decaying process kicks in. The bacteria living on its skin and the enzymes in its stomach start to decompose the flesh and skin of the fish itself.

Beware: No matter how much anyone insists, keep it a rule never to deal in near-to-rotting catfish. Because no matter how well you treat the fish , once the decaying process kicks in, the rottenness will show in the final product.

2. Thorough Splitting And Gutting (Eviscerate) : Next up, make sure the catfish is thoroughly cleaned from the inside and out after the gills and guts have been removed (eviscerated). Unlike other fish, catfish do not require scaling, which is a tedious process in itself, as it has no scales. The insides must be safely removed, and the catfish must be stored separately to avoid contamination.

3. Curing: In this process, split and gutted catfish are immersed in a saltwater brine with a high salt concentration, up to at least 70%.

This helps in preserving its freshness and shape. It does so by diminishing the catfish’s water content, making it easier to smoke. The catfish will now be crispier and have less chance of falling apart during the process of smoking.

4. Drying: This a simple but highly significant step in catfish smoking. Once out of the brine, the Catfish must be dried thoroughly or until a hard glossy seal can be seen over it. This further prevents the fish from turning stale or breaking apart.

– Packaging And Labeling: As a rule of thumb, invest less in packaging because it gets wasted anyway, and this does put off a lot of customers because, eventually, they are the ones paying for the product.

The main idea behind the packaging is to keep the food from being compromised. But here are a few details that can make a difference:

– Use clear branding and concise labelling. – Eco-friendly packaging is a plus. – Vacuum sealing is the best; however, resealable packaging is also making its way to the market. – Use actual product shots on the package for authenticity.

Phase 3 – Marketing

Although it is the last and final phase of the smoked catfish business, it’s one of the most important. And work on it should start before you start to set up your processing plant. Like in any business module, marketing plays a major role here too. Whether you choose to use word of mouth, digital media, or print media, marketing starts days before your catch is ready to surf the markets.

Here are a few things you need to look into before you set out to market your product:

– Create A Brand Say what you may, but people today have become increasingly brand conscious. And I don’t see any reason why they shouldn’t.

The first thing a customer looks into when buying any product is quality, and the second is consistency. A brand promises exactly that.

So when I suggest you create a brand, it’s truly important to understand the idea behind it. Superficial brandings, like a catchy name and logo and may not be enough to create a steady chain of clientele. Make sure your brand stays true to its promise of quality, consistently throughout its tenure.

Use actual product shots on the package for authenticity

– Procure a good marketing budget. When it comes to running a business, marketing budgets are placed scantily. Recent surveys suggest that an average business invests about 9% of its profit in Marketing. Whereas for a newly established business, the percentage should be anywhere between 10 to 15%.

– Allocate the marketing budget. Most businesses have amazing marketing budgets but fail to provide steady results. The reason lies in where the budget is being utilized. In this day and age, there are multiple marketing platforms such as social media, print media, as well as email and sms services.

One marketing strategy that works well for food and similar consumable products is giveaways. The company gives off products to a few of its customers for free in return for a review. This results in achieving genuine feedback, which is always a plus for organically increasing your reach.

Here are some other marketing tactics that can help you achieve the best results: ● Create a unique social media presence that resonates with your brand and shows authenticity. (7) ● Create a well-versed website that is easy to navigate. ● Mark your presence on Google Maps; it has far more reach than most apps. (6) ● Collab with known delivery services for online orders and restaurants for offline sales. ● Don’t take your reviews for granted. Use them as a tool to market and improve yourself in the business.

Conclusion:

So comes the final question, IS SMOKING CATFISH PROFITABLE ?

If simply put, then – Yes, Smoked Catfish Business in Nigeria is a highly lucrative business.

However, the profitability of a smoked catfish business in Nigeria depends on several factors, such as the cost of production, sales volume, competition, and pricing strategy.

On average, it has all the potential to be profitable, as there is a great demand for smoked fish in Nigeria. So while even an averagely-scaled smoked catfish business is profitable, it is important to conduct thorough market research and have a well-established business plan in place to ensure success.

We love to hear from you.

Are you interested in setting up a smoked catfish business in Nigeria? Or have you already started on that journey?

Let us know by sharing your experience with us using the comment box below.

Festus Otasowie

Thank you for the beautiful article; highly educative and full of useful information. I am a fish farmer, and I am about to venture into a commercial smoking catfish business. I would love to know how to get smoking kilns that meet the international standard, as the midterm goal is to go into the export of these products.

This is a very noble goal Sunday. Typically by searching for these on the internet you are able to find manufacturers who are selling them. But first I would suggest you may have to use a different search word/phrase. The commercial smoking machine for smoked fish is traditionally called smokehouse. So you may get better results from your search on Google using that instead. But a good place to start would be our post https://kabaia.com/catfish-smoking-machines/ and https://kabaia.com/category/sea-food-business/ . You will also find our guide on how to find overseas buyers will help you to. You get that when you use the pop up subscribe opt-in form on our site. It is free, So you can see that by exploring this site you can already learn a lot about what you need. All the best

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Are you still selling so hard with very little reward? Grab the  FREE  eBook  How to Find Smoked Catfish Buyers Overseas  today and start  earning more  for your efforts. You  deserve  it!

Dried and Smoked Fish Export – How to serve the demand of Africans living abroad

According to a study sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the quantity of dried and smoked catfish, tilapia and other types of fish exported from West Africa to the United Kingdom was estimated at over 500 tonnes per year; with a retail value of nearly $20 million.

Nigeria alone exports about 5 tonnes of smoked fish per month (via airfreight). Other major exporting countries are Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Cameroon.

However, with stricter regulations on food imported into the US and Europe, Africans are finding it difficult to exploit the million-dollar foreign market for smoked and dried fish.

This article reveals the secrets of the trade and how you can take advantage.

A quick introduction to the dried and smoked fish export business in Africa

As a result of this transcontinental migration, and a growing appreciation for African flavours and food, the demand for dried and smoked fish appears to be going through the roof.

While it was easy in recent years to send container loads of smoked fish across the seas to the US and Europe, increasing health and bioterrorism concerns have led to very strict rules on imported food and animal produce.

We shall examine the two largest markets for dry and smoked fish, their strict regulations and how you can meet them to make money from these huge markets.

It is important to note that up to 40 percent of smoked fish exported from Africa is detained, returned or destroyed at US and European ports due to simple mistakes such as improper packaging and labeling, inadequate compliance with paperwork, insect infestation and mould growth on the products.

To be successful in this business, you must focus on the details and be careful to comply with ALL the requirements. (photo credit: africa-blogs.mirror.co.uk)

How to export Dried and Smoked fish to the UK and Europe

This regulation has seriously reduced the volume of smoked fish that can be exported to Europe.

However, ‘personal’ exports are still allowed. Personal exports are small quantities of smoked fish (not more than 20kg in total weight).

This regulation is designed to prevent wholesale export of smoked fish to Europe. ‘Personal export’ includes consignments that are 20kg (or less) and may be carried as hand luggage while travelling.

It can also be sent (by mail or freight) directly to private addresses and named individuals in the EU for personal consumption only. Any exports to registered businesses in the EU or export quantities beyond the 20kg limit will not be allowed and will be seized and/or destroyed at EU ports.

This new policy has essentially killed smoked fish wholesale businesses in Europe who are presently unable to legally import commercial quantities of these products into the EU. This presents a huge opportunity to small African businesses interested in exporting smoked fish to Europe.

Export sizes are now much smaller (limited to 20kg) and can be sold directly to individuals in Europe. Your exports could be posted to target customers via airfreight, and should get to them within 24 hours.

You could sell directly to persons visiting Africa on business or holidays and send it over to them (via airfreight) on a repeat basis while they are back in Europe.

Exporting the minimum 20kg requirement is favourable to a Smallstarter because it significantly reduces the business risk involved.

This reduced quantity has reduced the amount of capital needed to start this business and allows you to sell directly to the consumers at retail prices (which greatly increases the profit potential).

Note: The European Union regulations governing food and beverage imports are constantly changing. To remain updated on the rules, you should make it a habit to check out the Fishery Products Import section of the UK Food Standards Agency .

How to export Dried and Smoked fish to the United States

However, following the passing of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002 , ‘all facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or store food, beverages, or dietary supplements that may be consumed in the United States by humans or animals are required to be registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) .’

The registration process is likely to include an inspection of the facility where your dried and smoked fish is produced. Companies located outside the United States must choose a US Agent who will be responsible for communicating with the FDA and handle any necessary paperwork.

Having a Certificate of Registration assures customers and suppliers that you have complied with all FDA regulations.

Registrar Corp is a good place to start your journey if you’re interested in supplying to the US market. They have food safety experts trained in FDA inspections who can offer experienced advice and help you get prepared to gain FDA approval.

Because the rules around importing food to the US change from time to time, it’s always a great idea to be on top of the most current information.

During the course of our research for this article, we came across a couple of good resources and give our top three recommendations as follows:

• Express Guidelines for Importing Food to the United States – This is a very detailed resource on the DHL website. It contains a lot of stuff you’ll be interested in if you intend to export food stuff to the US.
• Importing Food for Commercial Sale (Resale) is another great resource on the website of the US Customs and Border Protection. New alerts are issued on the site from time to time.
• Rules, Regulations and Procedures for importing food to the United States – Although this document originated from the Kabul Embassy in Afghanistan, it contains a lot of detail on the subject. It’s a 7-page PDF document and should take you less than 5 minutes to read. However, we noticed a lot of the links on the document are quite dead.

Success tips for aspiring smoked fish exporters…

As you now know, the regulations around food imports to the EU and USA are very strict. You must be ready to comply with all these regulations to avoid seizure or destruction of your products at the destination port.

These substances are considered by the US and European Union to be dangerous to human health and are claimed to cause cancer. Smoked fish consignments containing more than 5 micrograms per kilogram of these substances may not be allowed into any of these countries.

Another common reason why smoked and dried fish consignments are seized is insect infestation and mould growth. If the fish still contain a considerable amount of moisture after drying and smoking, it’s very likely to attract insects and moulds which significantly reduce the quality of the products, and of course, the money you can make from them (that’s if they get to get through the foreign borders).

Other common causes of seizure are incomplete documentation or improper labeling and packaging. You must ensure that you are aware of the required paperwork and work with the custom broker and importer to make sure everything is in place.

How to find buyers for your dried and smoked fish

There are a couple of options for aspiring exporters to find buyers and opportunities in the international markets. All of them are cost-free and provide the information, contacts and networks you need to become successful in the trade.

#1 – Register with an Export Promotion agency in your country

The traditional and most popular place to start your quest to find buyers is to register with an Export Promotion organization in your country. These are usually set up by governments to develop and promote export trade in the country.

Their major objective is to increase the amount of the country’s exports by addressing challenges, obstacles and bottlenecks faced by exporters and producers. They usually provide capital (in the form of grants), make international market information available and help to link exporters to potential international buyers.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has an Export Expansion Grant Scheme which provides incentives to local exporters to grow their businesses and foreign exchange earnings. The Kenyan Export Promotion Council also supports Kenyan exports.

#2 – Join a local trade organization 

Joining a trade organization in your country can be a very good way to gain an understanding of the dried fish export market and the tricks of the trade. These communities also allow you to network with other exporters, learn from their experiences and even get sales leads.

Often times, several exporters have to work together to fulfill large orders from big overseas clients. Being a part of a trade organization can help you find great deals.

#3 – Register with online marketplaces  

Online marketplaces like Alibaba.com and Tradekey.com are some of the most popular platforms to meet buyers and sellers on the international markets. Registration is usually free and you can create a profile as a seller with a good description of your product and some nice pictures too.

Thousands of interested buyers and sellers visit these sites everyday to see what’s on offer. It’s a very convenient and inexpensive way to meet potential customers on a global scale.

#4 – Open an online store

The internet has totally changed the way business is done. Without a physical shop and all the registration fees you need to run a traditional business, opening an online store affords you the opportunity to be available 24 hours a day, everyday! What’s more, it’s much cheaper to run, very flexible and can reach all parts of the world.

Setting up a website is easy. There are lots of free tools and services that can get you up and running in less than 30 minutes. You could write about your product, upload very good sample photos and provide your contact details so interested buyers can reach you.

#5 – Word of mouth

As outdated as it may sound in today’s world, word-of-mouth advertising still works and remains a great way to find potential customers. Social media like Facebook and Twitter make it much easier because you can share information about your products with your friends and contacts.

You never know who knows someone who needs your smoked fish. You spend a lot of time on these media anyway, it may just be time to use them for business benefit.

There are still opportunities in the dry and smoked fish export business in Africa

The size of the export market for smoked and dried fish from Africa is growing fast. Although some of the strict regulations make it difficult for most people to succeed in this business, informed and careful entrepreneurs still make a killing from it. It’s a matter of playing by the rules and looking out for more global export opportunities.

If you have any experience in this area, we’re sure a lot of people reading this would love to learn from you. Please leave a comment in the section below and share this opportunity with a friend.

Remember, you can find more interesting  success stories and business opportunities like this one in the  Business ideas section of Smallstarter.

To your success!

And by the way, if you enjoyed reading this article and you’re thinking of raising capital to start or grow your business, you’ll love my amazing and life-changing FREE course.

Click the course banner below or click here to get started with the course.

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About the author: john-paul iwuoha.

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71 comments.

I’ve been really confused about exporting smoked fish to Europe. No one I asked could give me the information I needed.

Thank you for helping me out. I can start working on my contacts now!

I am into catfish farming although still at a small scale. Please advice on how I can get into the export market. Regards.

Hello Tunde,

We think the best place to start your export business journey is to register with an export trade promotion agency. In Nigeria, its NEPC (Nigerian Export Promotion Council). You can contact them at http://www.nepc.gov.ng/contact.htm

Because the rules of the export trade constantly change, this agency always has the latest information. Above all, it always organises training programs for people like you who intend to start an export business. Training is very important if you want to succeed due to the technical requirements and strict export rules (especially in the USA and Europe).

Since your catfish farming is still at a small scale, your interaction with NEPC may link you to trading houses and bulk buyers who usually buy from small producers like you for export.

We hope this helps. Remember to share your experience as you progress.

Thanks for stopping by…

Please am new here, i wish to know A-Z information on how to export dried catfish from Nigeria to anywhere in the world.

Thanks for leaving a comment.

In this article, we tried our best to capture all the essential information anyone would need to successfully export dried fish from Africa.

But we understand you may have some [u]specific questions[/u] you’d like to get answers to. Please ask and we’ll be more than happy to respond.

In addition to getting all the answers you need, our conversation could reveal further information that’ll be very useful to other readers.

We also noticed you signed up for our email alerts.

Thank you! 8)

PS: Looking forward to your questions…

Dear Sir I want to enter the export business starting with dried vegetables and going to dried fish later but I want to know if you mentor people and what will it take for you to show me the way and lead me in the right direction. You can reach me by my email above. Okadu

Hello Okadu,

Thank you very much for taking the time to ask a question.

We’re happy to answer all your questions, give advice and mentorship. However, we prefer that all discussions take place here in the Comments section so that readers (now and in the future) can learn from your experience.

We have sent you a short email so you can send us only ‘confidential’ or ‘private’ details.

What will it take to show you the way? Nothing. Smallstarter.com is all about sharing and learning.

Again, thanks for your comment and we look forward to your questions about both your dried vegetables and dried fish export plans. 🙂

Dear Sir you talked about two problem involve in.export of dried fishes which are the level of smoke residue and the issue of mould on the fishes is there any technology to improve smoking of the fish and reduce the smoking residue on the fish and how can they been stored that will prevent the growth of mould.

Thanks for sharing your questions with the group. We’re sure thousands of people will learn and benefit from the answers.

A lot of smoked fish from Africa find it difficult to pass through US and European borders due to the high levels of PAH (Polycylic Aromatic Hydrocarbons). These substances are believed to cause cancer and damage human DNA.

The factors that lead to the production of these harmful substances include:

[b]1. Smoking method[/b]: Using sawdust and wet wood as fuel to smoke fish produces more smoke (and PAHs) than firewood and charcoal. Charcoal and gas ovens produce less smoke and contain the least PAHs.

[b]2. Smoking temperature[/b]: Bad smoke (with high PAH content) is produced when the fuel (wood, gas etc.) does not burn at a high enough temperature. Charcoal and oven-drying produce the highest temperatures and least smoke.

[b]3. Oil content in the fish:[/b] Fish that contains more fat will produce more PAH due to the burning of fat during the smoking process.

[b]Moulds (or fungi)[/b] only grow in fish because there is still some water (moisture) left in the fish. If fish is very well-dried and sealed to prevent moisture, moulds will hardly grow in them.

Again, if the fish stays exposed too long after smoking, moisture from the air can be absorbed into the fish and cause mould to grow. It’s helpful to ensure that your fish is sold off shortly after smoking and does not stay too long in storage.

We hope these answer your questions. We also found a very good report on the effects of smoking on different types of fish. It’s information-packed and you’ll love it. You can find it at [b]http://www.academicjournals.org/ajfs/pdf/Pdf2011/Jul/Silva%20et%20al.pdf[/b]

Please keep the questions coming…

John-Paul 🙂

Thanks I appreciate the reply and I now know the area to work on and design a system to use. And I will make it available for the blog when I am through.

We’re glad you found the information useful. We look forward to learning from the system you’re designing.

We wish you the best of luck and will be on standby to provide any information you may need.

Pls I have the idea of exporting foodstuff abroad, and would like to know what it takes to be able to do that effectively and successfully…. Thanks

Remember not only fishes but different kinds of foodstuff

There are different rules that apply to all categories of foodstuffs. If you plan to export vegetables and fruits, the processing, storage and pricing requirements will be different from say, smoked fish or garri.

You will need to find out if the products you want to export are allowed in the destination country (US, Europe or Asia). Some foodstuff are banned or required to be processed and packaged in a specific way.

This DHL page ( http://www.dhl.com/en/express/shipping/shipping_advice.html ) is a great place to find out specific information about any kind of product or foodstuff you want to export.

Another good way to get information is from the person(s) you will be supplying to (your customers) in the foreign country. They will usually let you know how the foodstuffs processed and packed. They also know about the changing rules in that country and will be able to help you to avoid seizure or destruction of your foodstuffs.

We hope this helps to answer your questions. If there’s any further information you need, just let us know.

Cheers. [b] John-Paul[/b] 8)

Hello john Paul an excellent write up you got very enlightening, however my main interest is in the Best way of packaging smoked fish especially if I am going to export to the US to avoid it been seized.

Urgent response needed.

Hello Nnamdi,

Wrong packaging and labeling is responsible for up to 20 percent of seizures of food products at the US borders; so it’s good you’re interested in this important but often overlooked aspect of the export business.

There are two ways we recommend to find the exact answers you need:

1) Read the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration) guidelines on food labeling and packaging. You will find this at http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Industry/ucm322302.htm#labeling

2) Use an experienced US-based agency that will help you to comply with all the import rules. Registrar Corp seems to be credible in this regard. You can check them out at http://www.registrarcorp.com/ and check the Food and Beverage section.

I hope this information helps you and thanks for asking.

Cheers… [b]John-Paul[/b] 🙂

Hello,Thanks for the rich information you shared on food export from Nigeria to EU and US.I am currently working on exporting dry smoked fish to USA.Please do have any information on how and where to buy/fabricate smoking equipment that won’t generation PAH while drying?

[quote name=”Lekan”]Hello,Thanks for the rich information you shared on food export from Nigeria to EU and US.I am currently working on exporting dry smoked fish to USA.Please do have any information on how and where to buy/fabricate smoking equipment that won’t generation PAH while drying?[/quote] Hello Lekan you can contact me for fish smoking ovens with high conservation of heat energy. Our ovens always come in a two in one energy source (I.e two from these three: gas,electricity and charcoal) this means it will be fabricated to be operated on any of the two you choose from the three listed and the insulator is fibre which makes the ovens to conserve high heat energy and smokes your fish at a very fast rate. This oven generates little or no smoke and designed with a chimney to control the heat energy and smoke in case of any slight one .I am sure this is the type you need as it will not make ur fish have PAH .My contact details are 08028515745,08167488947 or [email protected] for details and test run

Hi Michael,

Thank you very much for the very detailed response. I am quite impressed that your oven design includes features that help to reduce the PAH content in smoked fish.

I would strongly suggest that you invest some money, time and effort to send a sample of fish smoked in your ovens to a well-equipped lab for testing. The test results would reveal the actual levels of PAH in the finished product and this could serve as a strong selling point for you and bring a lot of credibility to your ovens.

Do you have any clients who have used your ovens to smoke fish and have successfully exported to the US or EU? These references will really help to boost your product and prove that it really works.

Thanks again for taking the time to leave such a helpful response. We really appreciate it.

[b]John-Paul[/b] 🙂

Hi john, Yes I have clients who have smoked with my oven And exported to the UK and some of my clients Supply their fish to exporter which I also do too. But must of this exporters will not tell you Who,where and how they ship which is a reason I am under going some export training right And doing research which led me to this site today.

PAH are carcinogenic materials which were put Into consideration in the design of this oven Charcoal produces a little of it which connsidered Not harmful but I never wanted to even add it has source of energy but it adds a special flavour to Ur fish after u finish smoking.so the ideal Is to start smoking with either gas or electricity For the first 80% time of smoking and dry it With charcoal for the last 20% of time requiredm

But I would love to test my fish like you said Do you have an address of a tested lab in lagos? I will provide samples and finance to run the test

Thanks Michael for the insights you have given concerning the features and techniques you use to smoke fish to reduce PAH content.

We hope that unlike your clients who are not willing to share the secrets of the trade, you will share your knowledge at the end of your training? The oceans of opportunity are large enough for all of us to swim and be successful. 🙂

About the test, I know the NAFDAC (National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control) office in Lagos has the kind of laboratory equipment that can do these tests. You can read more about them here: http://www.nafdac.gov.ng/index.php/laboratory-service-directorate

Office address: Special Duties NAFDAC Central Laboratory Oshodi

Thanks again Michael for your detailed and informative response.

Thank very much John. Yes I will Surely share my findings on here When am done. I have very busy weeks But will try to work on the nafdac Lab testing and will update u guys

[quote name=”olowa michael”]Thank very much John. Yes I will Surely share my findings on here When am done. I have very busy weeks But will try to work on the nafdac Lab testing and will update u guys[/quote]

We would really appreciate that Michael. Thank you again for your kind responses.

Hi everyone…to those who have been calling and some asking for my bb pin here is it … 25dde7bb. Am sorry I can’t send sms to everyone as most time when you call am on the farm working or on the field and I don’t save most numbers unless wee have a concrete arrangement already. I am through with my export training also and now working on my first consignment but the business is a bit capital intensive though highly profitable if done properly. I promise to share my experience that I will do and in fact I am pulling a team together to teach people for free not only on exportation but some other farming business too….ciao

Hurray! on the successful completion of your export training Michael! I can see you’re hard at work implementing the things you learned. Well done!

I must tell you that I am very impressed with your plan to freely share your new knowledge of the smoked fish export business. I am sure other readers will be very interested and will deeply appreciate your kindness.

Thank you also for the calls you have been taking and for sharing your BB PIN on this forum. If there is any new information you have gained about this business that you think will be helpful to more readers of this article, please share.

And for readers who have any questions or difficulties with the smoked fish business, please ask them here. More people stand the chance to learn if Michael shares his knowledge and experience here rather than attend to individual phone calls.

Thanks again Michael!

[b]John-Paul[/b] 8)

Hello John … No thanks and I must confess you guys are doing a great job on smallstarter, you have been giving out great ideals at no rate and I would love to join you in doing that.

For aspiring farmers in fish farming (catfish and tilapia), piggery, grasscutter farming, snail farming and exportation of Nigerian food stuff. Bethsaidal Naija holding a FREE seminar on the above listed on Saturday 9 Nov 2013. For reservation of seat contact Michael on 08028515745 or 08167488947… Admission is 100% FREE!!!

This is great news! I thank you on behalf of everyone who has been following this page for keeping your word to share the knowledge you have gained in exporting foodstuff from Nigeria.

I hope the training will be in Lagos because I would love to attend. If you could have a seat reserved, that would be great.

I look forward to gaining new insights during the seminar and sharing the new information with other readers (especially outside Nigeria) who may be unable to attend this event. I sure don’t want them to miss out on this!

Looking forward to your favourable response and meeting you in person this Saturday.

Thank you again for a very noteworthy initiative. Well done!

Just want to appreciate u guys for your candid and awesome advice.u are wonderful.please I have a contact in france and am planning to start small with like 20kg like you have adviced but I need to know how much 1kg of smoked catfish goes in france.thanks very

Hello Oluwaseun,

Thank you for your comment and kind feedback.

About your question, we think what really matters is that you make a good profit. It doesn’t matter how much smoked fish is sold for in France; you need to be sure you can recover your costs and make something on top.

Here’s what we suggest. Add up everything it would cost you to get the fish to France (including cost of smoking and preparing the fish, air freight, duties etc). Just make sure you don’t leave any costs out.

When you have your final figure, multiply it by 2 (that’s a 100% profit). That’s the sale price you should offer to your contact in France. If that price is too high, you will know. Your contact will want to negotiate down the price and in the process, the real price of smoked fish in France may be revealed as he/she tries to prove that your price is too high.

If your contact does not complain and is comfortable with your quoted price, no problem. It only means that there is still more room for profit to exploit when you’re sending the next consignment.

I hope this technique of ‘[i]testing the price point[/i]’ works for you. If you need any further information, don’t hesitate to let us know.

Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment and we would like to know if your deal goes through.

Certainly I will feed u back when am done with my findings.thanks so much for your prompt responses.I really do appreciate u guys.I will always tell u u are great guys.please the saturday senmier can the address be send to this line 07065916011.thanks so much.his grace is sufficient .

Please I need urgent help,I want to know how much u sell 1kilo of ur smoked catfish because I will be needing ur products on a large quatity.thanks

Hi everyone, just to remind u that the seminar continues this weekend. For those who were around last weekend they can tell u about it. Training was of freshwater fish farming and exportation, this week will focus on other farming business. Remenber a man with wisdom is powerful but will still rely on a man with knowledge because knowledge its self is the power. After the traiing we will supporting you in setting up in your own capacity and in the type u of farming u are interested in. Admission is still 100 FREE! 08028515745 or 08167488947

Hello Michael,

I am glad the seminar went well. I was not in town as planned and could not attend. My deepest apologies.

For the benefit of our readers who cannot attend (due to reasons of location or convenience), is it possible to share some tips and useful information regarding smoked fish production and export? We would really appreciate it.

Thanks a lot for everything you have shared with us so far.

Thank you for the support you are guys giving people like me here on your blog. I have read most of the comments and contributions from you and your team and I will say kudos. Keep up the good work. Will recommend this site to more friends and families starting their own businesses.

I am fish farmer located in Ghana. I am very much interested in smoking my fish and export majority to the UK and the US. Any idea about any institution I need approval from them here in Ghana before I can start this business?

Could you please advise? Thank you very much indeed.

Thank you very much for your kind feedback. It is just the encouragement we need to continue sharing everything we know.

Locally, smoked fish is still an unregulated product although there may be restrictions around certain locations against smoking fish (especially in residential areas in cities). Aside from this, there is usually no approval required to produce smoked fish locally.

To export however, you may to need to pay a visit to your local Customs office to find out the documentation and other requirements for exporting smoked fish. I think this is the best way to get the most accurate information about exportation from Ghana because the rules are always changing and often country-specific.

I hope you find this response useful. We would appreciate it if other readers who have more information in this regard can share it.

Thanks again Dom for taking the time and effort to leave a comment. We really appreciate it!

I quite appreciate the information I have got so far from this blog. I would like to know if regulations for smoked fish is different in Canada from that of the US. I do have a contact there who is interested in the business, but I really do not know how to beat the regulations constraints, if/when it comes up. Any insight into the Canadian market? Thanks

Hello Bisola,

Thank you for taking the time to leave us some feedback and ask questions. I’m sure other readers will benefit from the information we’ll share with you.

It appears the import regulations in Canada are quite different from the US. Your contact (importer) will need to apply for a Fish Import License if the quantity of smoked fish to be imported is more than 1,000kg. If less, a written authorization letter will be required. All of these are conditions specified for Fish Products under the Canadian Food Inspection Program.

My advice? Read the following articles and sections of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency website:

1. [b]A Step-by-Step Guide to importing products into Canada[/b]: http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/sme-pme/i-guide-eng.html

2. [b]Import Requirements for Fish and Fish Products[/b]: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/food/imports/commercial-importers/importing-food-products/eng/1376515896184/1376515983781?chap=6#s14c6

3. Just to be safe, [b]your contact should reach out (by telephone or a physical visit) to any of the 14 Fish Import Program Inspection Offices in all the regions of Canada[/b]. All their addresses are listed here: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/fispoi/import/pol/offbure.shtml

A simple phone call may provide you with a load of information about the whole import process and save you time, energy and money.

I hope these resources will help you find all the information you need to successfully export these products.

If you have any further questions, I’ll be very glad to find you the answers.

By the way, most of those links up there are not opening…

Thank you for pointing this out. I believe it’s just the NEPC (Nigerian Export Promotion Council) website links that are affected. They have moved their links to http://www.nepc.gov.ng/

We shall update these links soon enough.

Thanks again.

[b]John-Paul [/b] 🙂

Thanks a lot for this forum. It has been of immense and great help to me. I’m yet to start my animal farming (catfish included) and when I start, I’d definitely love to smoke/dry and export them for a greater profit. I’ll need the expertise of the like of Michael and some others. Thanks once again

I’m glad you found some value in this article and all the comments that follow. Thank you for taking the time and effort to say ‘Thank you’. We deeply appreciate it.

Congratulations on your plan to start something in the animal farming business. We encourage you to do everything you can to bring your business dream to life. Over 90 percent of business ideas never make it out of our heads; they just sit there, wait for a long time and die. I’m sure you’ll be part of the 10 percent that turn their dreams into reality. 🙂

Whatever questions or help you require to succeed in this business will be provided for you here. All you have to do is ASK.

I look forward to hearing from you soon about your progress.

Hi everyone, here is wishing all a merry xmas And a happy new year in advance.I have been very busy with a new farm project which is why I have not been around here much.

Let me give a little more tip about smoke fish for exportation.packaging is one very important aspect. Of smoke fish exportation which will also depend on the type of exportation (I.e infornal or formal exportation). Informal exportation is faster and the consignment is likely to get to its destination between 5-10 working days dependinng onn country of destination so packaging is not as serious as that of the formal exportation which could take about 4-7 weeks.

Also the jute bags that contains the fish has to bevacuum sealed in other to get a longer sheeve life for ur fish. If not well package the fish is likely to grow mould before it gets to its destiation which will amount to lost of money especially in the case of formal exportation which is usually in large quantity…pls take note of that if you intend to do the business.

[quote name=”olowa michael”]Hi everyone, here is wishing all a merry xmas And a happy new year in advance.I have been very busy with a new farm project which is why I have not been around here much.

Also the jute bags that contains the fish has to bevacuum sealed in other to get a longer sheeve life for ur fish. If not well package the fish is likely to grow mould before it gets to its destiation which will amount to lost of money especially in the case of formal exportation which is usually in large quantity…pls take note of that if you intend to do the business.[/quote] Could you expatiate more on Informal and Formal exportation. Also, why would anyone want to go the way of formal exportation seeing as informal seems to hold the key to quicker shipping and thus better profits? Thanks

Let me use this medium to advertise our xmas and new year fish harmper(fish in the basket) for those of us that wants to give gifts to our families,friends, love ones,colleaagues,clients,etc…our fish hamper is perfect gift for anyone one. We various packages for different class of people you can send me an email on [email protected] or call 08167488947 and I will send u a copy of our proposal with pictures and prices. Also delivery is free In lagos and its environ

Merry Christmas (in arrears) to you too Michael! Thanks for the tips on packaging smoked fish for export.

Fish hampers sound like a novel and interesting idea. Well done!

Enjoy the holidays!

[b]John-Paul[/b]

Hi, to every reader of this article, i congratulate you all including myself for to be part of those that find their way to this blessed site.

Hi John, thank you very much for sharing this expensive information with the serious people who are dearly in need of business that would give them financial freedom. kudos to you guys for the great work. God is the only One who will reward greatly, and i pray that His mercy and grace will be sufficient for you all.

Michael well done, i thank u that u are not one of those that keeps all they to themselves only.

your successors are uncountable and they are those that benefit from your knowledge

once again thank you

Hi Nathaniel,

Thank you very much for your kind feedback. This is the single reason I’m sworn to writing only the best-researched and well written articles.

I hear you very well; you spoke from your heart indeed.

Thanks again!

Hi John, I’m glad u red comment, thanks.

i really don’t have interest in export things to abroad bcos it’s a little bit seems hard job for me bcos i know the level of my strength ( AM NOT DISCOURAGING ANYBODY HERE).

But i have this interest in plantation farm especially plantain And i need more insight from people who know about it and how to excel in it.

thanks Nathaniel

Hello Nathaniel,

Thank you for your honest feedback. I have left a response to your plantain business question in the relevant article.

You can read it here: http://smallstarter.com/browse-ideas/agribusiness-and-food/how-to-start-a-fruit-farming-and-export-business-in-africa#comment-469

If you have any further questions about plantain cultivation, you can leave it in the comments section of the article I just referred you to.

Many thanks. [b] John-Paul [/b]

Happy xmas and new year in advance.please I need need info on where I can get my catfish smoked and how much it cost to smoke it per pieces or per kilo.because getting my own oven might be a liitle problem cos where I live.Thanks

Hi guys for those in the house that already export smoke fish to the US I wid like to know what is the going price of a kilo preferably well packaged ones and the quantity you are able to deliver by-weekly/monthly…please here or forward detail to [email protected] adding pictures would be helpful

Hello to everyone and a happy new year as we roundup 2013. Thanks again to John-Paul for what you’re doing on this thread as I intend to be part of the 10% that turn their dreams into reality. I need to ask for micheal’s help on the free training he’s organizing. I was meant to understand the seminar is in Lagos, whereas I reside in Abuja. Supposing I’m to travel down to Lagos, will I benefit from this? And if yes, How many days will this last for me? If a seperate training is to be organized for those coming from afar like myself, will it cost me, and how much? Please I need answers to these questions so as to enable make plans.

Thanks again as we journey into 2014

@ Betty, Wishing u a happy new year in a couple of hours too. The training usually comes up every last 2 Saturdays of every month. Yes a seperate training can be organise for people who can’t be available for that arrangement. Just give me a call on 08167488947 and we can make an arragement.

@Nnamdi a kilo of smoke catfish goes for about N3000 provided it is well dried( this is because you lose atleast 75% of the weight if well dried)

Wishing everyone on the thread a blissful 2014

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and your timely answers to many of the questions that have been asked here. I wish you a successful 2014 and look forward to more of your contributions.

@seun catfish is smoked at the rate of N100 per kilo for unevicerated and N120 per kilo for evicerated. If you reside in lagos,ogun,oyo,edo,ondo or delta I have some contact address I can give you there. I also do it also but for lagos base only

@bisola that is because informal export is to individuals like family friends and there is limit to the total while formal is to companies and you need a contract and its usually done in containers unlike informal where u just send a box

U make a lot of money from formal and payment can be secured unlike informal. Shipping is faster and no documentation nor shipping license needed for informal

Hello, thank you for this write up. I want to know if you have any information regarding frozen or dried African giant snail export? Regards

Thanks for leaving a comment. About your question, have you read our article on snail farming? That would be a good place to start. You can read it by following this link: https://www.smallstarter.com/browse-ideas/agribusiness-and-food/snail-farming

If you have any questions after reading the article, ask them in the comments section of the snail farming article and I’ll be glad to find the answers.

Thanks again for stopping by.

@ John Paul : may God reward U greatly for this great information. @Olowa Michael : God bless you greatly. Please I’m very interested in †ђξ training can you kindly give †ђξ details of d date π venue?

Hi everyone, for step by step guy on how to start and smoke catfish, types of oven and where to get them, starting your own farming business and many more….visit http://www.bethsaidal.blogspot.com

im dried fish exporter [email protected] mail me

I just want to say thank you all guys, and give kudos to small starter buz once again thank you.

Hi everyone, for farmers and aspiring farmers especially fish farming, visit http://www.bethsaidal.blogspot.com for information on how to make your own floating feeds, how to smoke and export catfish, alternatives to fishmeal and many more.

My new pin is 2a83027a to those who use to have me on their list, i just switched phone. Thanks

How to export dry catfish from nigeria

Thank you very much for puthing this well written article.i enjoy reading it; very intersting and informative.i want to know if you have also a practical manual for poodaction of tilapia fish what will be operation cost inclouds purchasing egges or fingerlings for indoor farm or out? i look forward to hear from you .

Hi everyone , it’s been a while and hope everyone is enjoying fish smoking and export business? with the crash in oil price and the fall of naira against the dollar, fish smoking and export business is really booming. We now have new designs easy to use smoking kilns with temperature gauge, racks of rollers with automatic oil and moisture collector. Contact Michael on 08112756626 or 08167488947 for a detail catalogue or visit http://www.bethsaidal.blogspot.com.ng

Please I want to know, how the potential market for dried fish in Nigeria specifically; location, the extent of the demand. Also how can I conduct a personal research in this regard

you can contact me and i can help you with any information you need about dried fish and consumables. [email protected]

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Interesting write up. Good job. You have got a new fan today.

Such an informative post about the fish export business opportunities globally. Every country has its own set of regulations for the export business and the exporter can find buyers by registering on online marketplaces. Keep sharing!!

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SMOKED CATFISH BUSINESS PLAN

₦ 15,000.00

The catfish trade is a profitable business in Nigeria and many other parts of the world, with over 2.7 million metric tons of fish produced globally, with catfishes accounting for approximately 62 percent of the volume produced in Africa—over 1.8 million metric tons of catfishes.

Nigeria is the world’s leading producer of catfishes, and a large portion of these catfishes are smoked, dried, and exported to neighboring African countries as well as a few other countries in Europe and Asia, making the smoked catfish business an appealing venture for many entrepreneurs in Nigeria and elsewhere.

This is a document that describes the Smoked Catfish Business, the products and services, and the customers to sell to. It explains the business strategy. How to build and grow the business, what the marketing strategy is, and who the competitors are.

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Starting a smoked catfish business is quite straightforward, even simpler than running a fish pond, which comes with the added stress of building ponds, obtaining fingerlings, growing, and feeding them to market size, which takes at least three months before selling them to others in the market.

Dealing in dried and smoked catfish is a lucrative industry. Simply put, all that is required for the business is to buy, process, smoke-dry it, package it in a branded polythene bag, and distribute it to the market.

The most important tool is to get a smoke/drying machine from a good welder.

Here are the contents of the business plan:

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Introduction: Business Overview

Description of Business

Vision and Mission Statement

Business Objectives

2.0 Production Plan

2.1.2 Six pond model

2.2 Production Process

2.2.2 Smoked Fish Production Processing

3.0 Marketing Plan

3.2 Product Packaging and Delivery

3.3 Competition and Target Market

4.0 Organizational and Management Plan

4.2 Management and Personnel Requirements

4.3 Details of Salary Schedule

5.0 Financial Plan/Projection

5.1.2 Expected returns

5.2 Break-Even Analysis

5.3 Investment Analysis

5.4 Performance Indices of the Fish Farm

6.0 Business Risk and Mitigation Factor

6.2 SWOT Analysis

6.2.2 Weaknesses

6.2.3 Opportunities

6.2.4 Threats

 31-page | PDF

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How To Start Fish Smoking Business: Detailed Guide

The business of smoking fish became more popular because of the increasing number of fish farmers especially cat-fish farming. You maybe saying but Nigeria is surrounded by water why rearing fish again. Apart from the reasons given above we are now exporting fishes in large quantities. About 5 tonnes is said to be exported every month. if fishes are not reared we may not have enough to eat. That is why we are calling on smart entrepreneurs to take advantage of these opportunities and invest in fish business. Fish is a sea animal that should be preserved ones it is out of water, for it to last a little longer without getting spoilt.

You don’t have to be a fish farmer before you start smoking fish. You can buy fishes from fish farmers and smoke them. But if you have the money to set up a fish farm the better for it, because you will make more than 3 times the profit. In this post we shall be looking at the different steps involved in smoking fish, advantages of smoking fish, branding/packaging of fish, fish exportation and marketability.

HOW TO START FISH SMOKING BUSINESS

Undergo training from someone who is already into fish smoking business and understand the intricacies of the business. The business of smoking fish is not hard but requires determination, skill and execution. There are important steps to take in smoking fish, they are:

CLEANING OF FISH

To clean fish, you have to first of all remove the gills, lungs and intestine before washing it clean from the inside out. You have to be very generous with water, use plenty of clean water.

BRINE AND CURE

This is the process of immersing fish inside water in other to:

• Kill diseases that may be present in the fish example of such bacteria is botulism.
• Firm up the fish, the ions present in the fish will prevent it from breaking easily.
• It gives the fish a very good taste just like salt will do in meat or other foods.
• Curing: this helps to drag out any remaining blood from the fish thereby giving freshness to the fish and a good taste.

iodized salt is not good for curing fish so avoid using it. Mix the salt with water in the ratio of ½ galloon for water and ¾ cup for salt.

THINGS NEEDED FOR FISH SMOKING

• Basins for fish washing
• Flat material
• Vacuum sealer
• Packaging materials

The main equipment for smoking fish is kiln and they come in different sizes, kinds and power source such as charcoal,sawdust,gas and electricity. The materials used in the inside of kiln is very important. It should be the type that does not attract rust or corrosion NAFDAC will not approve any kiln that is not made with galvanized plate or stainless steel. Although stainless steel is very expensive but it lasts longer than others. This is very important for those considering export. For local market you can use mild steel or black plate for the kiln interior.

CAPACITY OF SMOKING KILN

Kiln is specially for those going into large scale fish smoking business. The sizes of smoking kilns are; 50kg, 100kg, 200kg, 300kg, 400kg and 500kg. There are different models such as basic and classic with different features as well.

Some smoking kilns come with dual or triple power source such as gas, charcoal and electricity equipped with high-speed blower for even distribution of thermal energy. Fibre insulated for effective conservation of thermal energy this means it has high rate of drying with temperature gauge to monitor and regulate working temperature. And damages to avoid polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

You can get a smoking kiln of #40,000-#50,000 for a start, this can take 100 fishes 100kg galvanized steel smoking fish with blower temperature, gauge, oil and moisture collection trolley with removable rack.

SMOKING AND DRYING

• Get the smoking place ready, it should have enough wood or charcoal that will finish drying the fish.
• Bring out the cured fish from the brine and rinse with cold water
• Place the fish on the rack which is already in the fire-place, position the fish in such a way that the skin (body) is facing down while the head is up
• Maintain the fire at a low temperature for about 2 hours before adding charcoal to increase the amount of heat.
• Allow it to remain that way until you get your desired dryness or according to your taste. The thickness or type of fish determines how long it stays on fire.

Ikg of fish should reduce to about 200grams. This is the reason why you should weigh your fish before smoking and after smoking. It will help in long-term preservation. You can store fish in the refrigerator up to 2 months.

Avoid too much of smoke on the fish because it will make the fish taste bitter. You have to allow the fire to catch first before placing the fish on the rack. Firewood or sawdust should not be used because of the kind of smoke the produce. The high volume of smoke that comes out of those two contains high toxic substance, Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) which is dangerous to health. It is very toxic to man in that it is a cancerous material. Charcoal gives the best taste

TIPS ON FISH SMOKING

Make sure the fishes you buy are healthy and fresh. It is easy to determine the freshness of a fish from the appearance. Old fish appears dull and pale and drying it will not hide it, while the fresh one appears lively. Get a customer that can be supplying you always with fresh fish. As a fish dealer or farmer don’t wait until your fishes starts getting spoilt before taking them to cool room.

It lengthens the shelf life of fish. Smoke fish can stay up to 4 months and still maintains freshness. This will be so if 80% of the oil and fat present in it was extracted while smoking. Smoke fish adds flavour to food. The taste stands out when used for sauce or soup preparation.

BRANDING/PACKAGING OF SMOKED FISH

You have to brand your product because this is what you will be known and identified with. If you are using carton in packaging it has to be perforated. The same goes for nylon it has to be perforated too. For export, you have to use vacuum sealer if you are using nylon for packaging. This is because the vacuum sealer will remove air from the nylon before sealing. The process will make the fish to last longer.

FISH SIZES TO SMOKE

Harvested catfish are divided into two. The melange and table top. Melange weighs between 300-600g while table size weighs from 600g and above. Table size sales between #600-650 while melange sales between #500-#550 per kg. Melange is the most commonest fish used for fish smoking business because it is easy to fold.

PROFITABILITY OF SMOKING FISH BUSINESS

Assuming you bought 300kg of melange and each kg goes for #500, then 500×300=150,000 This will give you 200g ×300g=6000g which is 600kg converted. You remember that 1kg of fish reduces to 200g after smoking Lets say expenses are: Transport          #2,000 Fish                    #150,000 Charcoal           #4,000 Salt                   :#1,000 Miscellaneous #2,000 Total                  #159,000

Smoked fish goes for #4,000 per kg 600×4,000=240,000,                            amount sold minus expenses 240,000-159,000=#81,000 That is how profitable smoking fish business is.

Note: these prices are not fixed, find out the correct prices in your location.

FISH EXPORTATION BUSINESS

If you are going into large-scale fish exportation you need to get licensed by relevant authorities. And meet up with many other requirements. But for the informal which is small-scale exportation you won’t have to go through all those rigorous processes. It is very easy to export small quantities of product. Packaging of the fish will depend on which export you are going into; large or small. But it has to meet up with the standard of the country you are exporting to.

For formal exportation the product has to be tested and branded to ascertain if there is any PAH. So the level of dryness has to be very high for good preservation before and after leaving the country.

WHY YOU SHOULD START FISH SMOKING BUSINESS

• The market for smoke fish is unsaturated
• You can start fish smoking business from home
• The demand for fish is high both locally and internationally
• It is very profitable

MARKETABILITY

Distribute to retail outlets, supermarkets, hotels, restaurants, wholesalers, bars etc. Advertise your fish business using both offline and online such as Facebook,Twitter etc. Start by selling to neighbours, friends and family members.

The rate at which fish is consumed everyday is enough to push someone into fish smoking business. If you cannot handle the business you can employ people to do it for you while you supervise.

• fish business
• fish farming
• fish smoking business
• process of smoking fish

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How to Start a Fish Farming Business in Nigeria

HOW TO START A FISH FARMING BUSINESS

By Ayoade Apelegan

Fish is a healthy and nutritious source of protein which is popular around the world. Industrial fish farming, or aquaculture, provides almost half the seafood around the world and this is expected to increase with time as more people are embracing fish farming due to its lucrative nature.

One of the most lucrative businesses one can venture into is fish farming business. Fish farming can also be referred to as aquaculture. Fish farming is one of the most common types of farming.

Fish farming business is the system in which fishes are reared either sale or for consumption.

A good way to venture into the agriculture industry and generate some good income id through fish farming. 

Whether you are a new farmer hoping to start a fish farming business or an existing farmer looking to expand your capacity, contact us at MATOG CONSULTING for your comprehensive business plan and feasibility study.

Benefits of Fish Farming

Huge Demand

Fish is one of the main sources of protein, fish is widely consumed on a large scale. Thus, the demand for fish is stable all year round. Fishes are known to grow rapidly. So, investing in a fish farming business will result in huge patronage and source of cash flow.

Affordability

It is a known fact that fishes are cheaper when compared to most meat products and hence, sells faster. It is an attractive venture as it remains the top choice for consumers in terms of affordability.

Rapid Growth

The growth pattern of fish is fast. This singular characteristic of fishes ensures that fish farmers can harvest and sell in a short time.

Low Cost of Set-Up

Fish farms are easy to set up. It can be set up in residential areas as well as on a large scale.

Fish farming can be easily practised alongside any type of farming.

Fish farming business is one of the most lucrative agricultural business one can venture into.

Click here to read How to Grow Your Business Through Export of Goods and Services

Methods of Fish Farming

Fish farming may range from ‘backyard’ subsistence ponds to large scale industrial enterprises. Farming systems can be expressed in terms of input levels.

Extensive fish farming: In extensive fish farming, inputs such as economic and labour are usually low. The type of feed employed is natural fish. The system’s productivity is relatively low. Fertilizers are used to increase fertility and thus fish production.

Semi-Intensive fish farming: This involves higher labour and feed costs, as well as higher fish yields, compared to the extensive fish farming method. It requires a moderate level of inputs and fish production is increased by the use of fertilizer

Intensive fish farming: This type of fish farming method involves a high level of inputs and stocking the ponds with as many fish as possible. The type of fish feed employed here is the supplementary feed, while natural feed plays a minor role.

The target market for fish

Restaurants

Frozen food sellers

Types of fish to consider when starting a fish farming business

The tilapia fish is an inexpensive, mild-flavoured fish.

The following attributes of the tilapia fish make it one of the most widely cultured fish in fish farming.

• grow rapidly at warm temperatures;
• good tolerance to poor water quality;
• they eat a wide range of natural food organisms;
• it grows quickly and consumes a cheap vegetarian diet.

Catfish is the most common type of fish reared when it comes to fish farming businesses. This is because the catfish market is a large one as there is always a demand for it all year round. When it comes to feeding, it is important to feed your catfish with good quality feed to ensure fast growth and optimal size.

Some characteristics of catfish are:

• It is widely acceptable;
• It can be cultivated anywhere;
• Catfish breathe fresh air from the atmosphere;
• Catfish can survive harsh climatic and water conditions;
• can be processed either for domestic or export purposes;
• It can survive and grow in brackish and low oxygen water.

Factors to consider when starting a fish farming business    

Registration of Business

Whenever one decides to start a business, registering the business is the first thing to do. It saves one from a lot of legal issues when one registers the company.

Registering a company, in simple terms, means letting the government know you now own a business and that your business name is yours.

In Nigeria, the Corporate Affairs Commission is the Agency authorized by the Company and Allied Matters Act 1990 to register businesses.

Since fish is a major source of export in Nigeria, it is also important to register as an exporter.

If you are considering exporting fish from Nigeria, you will be required to register with the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC). Registration as an exporter can only be done using the e-registration platform. The page contains all the required information needed to obtain an Exporter’s Certificate.

 Benefits of registering with Nigerian Export Promotion Council

• Trade promotion support services 
• NEPC administered (pre- and post-) export incentives
• Numerous training, clinics, seminars, and more
• A network of exporters to collaborate and exchange ideas.

Guidelines & procedures

There are documents required for completing the registration process. The documents depend on the type of company involved in the export process.

DOCUMENTS FOR LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY

• Certificate of Incorporation (issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission)
• Certified True Copy of Memorandum and Articles of Association
• Current Certified True Copy of Form CAC 1.1 – “section C” (Particulars of Directors).

DOCUMENTS FOR CO-OPERATIVE SOCIETY

• Certificate of Registration (issued by State Ministry of Commerce, Local Governments and Federal Capital Territory Area Councils)
• Bye-Laws of the Society

DOCUMENTS FOR GOVERNMENT AND NON-GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION

• Certificate of Registration (issued by the Corporate Affairs Commission)
• Constitution of the Government Organization and non-Governmental Organization
• Memorandum for Guidance of Applicant

 Fees & Charges

The following are the costs associated with obtaining an exporter’s certificate excluding bank charges.

• New certificate registration – ₦13,500
• Expired certificate renewal – ₦7,500
• Late certificate renewal (after Three months of expiry) – ₦12,500
• Lost/mutilated certificate – ₦12,500 

Payment can be made through the following channels

• Nigerian local cards
• International credit / debit cards
• Internet banking
• Commercial bank branches in Nigeria

A company’s duties and obligations continue after incorporation.

This new status of incorporation endures indefinitely – subject to the observance of a set of conditions stipulated by the CAMA and enforced by the CAC. These set of conditions/activities are known as Post-incorporation Matters.

Post-Incorporation requirements for a fish farming business

Below are some requirements expected of a fish farm owner.

Business Entity Concept

According to the business entity concept, every business is considered to be separate and distinct from its owners. Business transactions are recorded in the books of accounts from the business point of view and not owners.

Owners being separate from the business are considered creditors of the business to the extent of their capital.

Keeping a Separate Bank Account

One of the most important things a newly incorporated company should do is to open a bank account for their business. Most business owners make the mistake of using a personal bank account for their business.

Having a separate account for your business will enable you to easily separate your business and personal expenses, which will help you reconcile your accounts when it’s time to complete your annual returns.

Separate own account from the business account.

Tax Registration

A company incorporated in Nigeria is required to be registered with the relevant tax authorities for tax purposes. Following the incorporation of a company, a Tax Payer Identification Number (TIN) is automatically generated for the new company. This TIN is to be used when remitting taxes due to the Federal Government. Taxes imposed by State Governments require separate taxpayer registration.

Filing of Annual Returns

The Annual Returns of a company is a yearly statement which gives essential information about a firm’s composition, activities, and financial position, and which must be filed by every active incorporated firm with an appropriate authority.

In Nigeria, it is a statutory requirement that all duly registered businesses and companies submit their annual returns yearly to the CAC.

New companies may not file its return within the first 18 months of its incorporation, while for older companies, the annual return is due no later than 42 days after its Annual General Meeting. Section 374 CAMA.

For Business Names

Partnerships, Business Ventures and all other types of organizations registered as Business Names need not submit Annual Returns for their first year of operation after registration. For subsequent years, however, the business is required to file its Annual Returns and make payments of the applicable fees on or before the 30th day of June of each year.

Very vital importance is that filing of the annual return by a company helps to keep the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) aware that such company is still actively in operation and still engaging in business activities or otherwise.

Get a tax advisor

It is always a good idea to get a tax advisor. A brief meeting with a tax advisor can give you valuable insight into how you should file your taxes as an entrepreneur.

Keep Records

Keeping good records is vital for any business. Whether it’s to help manage your costs, whether it’s for legal, regulatory or tax purposes, or simply to help manage and improve your business.  Collecting, storing and effectively analyzing your data is vital .

Obtain Necessary Permits

It’s always necessary to get one’s business registered with a related body. This is because most businesses are supervised by associations. Often, there are fees to be paid before becoming a member of these associations.

Land / Site Selection

The importance of land cannot be overemphasized when it comes to agriculture.

The type of pond to be used for fish farming goes a long way in determining the land selection.

For earthen ponds, factors such as Flood history, environment, soil type, soil texture and soil composition should be considered when setting up a fish pond. The land to be used for fish farming should be free from harmful activities such as; pollution, industrial waste and domestic waste. Factor such as the source of water is also considered.

Coastal areas and the areas near rivers and stream are suitable for establishing fish farming businesses.

Aquarium or fish tank or pond

Fishpond is a great alternative to natural water reservoirs. With the construction of a fishpond, fish farming can be in a controllable environment. There are different types of fish ponds available to a fish farmer; such as:

• Earthen Pond: Earthen ponds are mainly constructed from soil materials
• Concrete Pond: concrete ponds are the type of ponds wherein blocks are used to construct the pond above the ground level, using cement, gravel and sand. Concrete ponds are used for intensive fish farming. Concrete walls eliminate erosion due to currents caused by mechanical aeration, waves generated by the wind and fish activities.
• Fibre Pond: This is a type of pond also known as a plastic fish pond. It is constructed by carving a tank out of a full tank. One advantage this type of pond has over the other types of the pond is that it can be moved from one place to another.

One needs to engage the services of a pond construction engineer and also ensure that the plumbing work is properly done to ensure proper drainage.

The use of a water pump is to ensure the fishes have adequate freshwater by filling the ponds, or tanks with fresh water from the source.

They also came in handy when you choose to drain the ponds at the end of the growing cycle.

Aeration Devices

Aeration is of vital importance in fish farming. Water quality is vital to the financial health and productivity of fish farming. Aeration devices are to ensure an adequate supply of oxygen to the fish. Aeration devices also make it easier to recycle water after removing impurities

Net or Seine Reels

Nets and seine reels are a large wall of netting deployed around an entire area or school of fish. The seine reels and nets are used in harvesting fish from the pond or river as the case may be.

Handling and Grading Equipment

Handling and grading equipment is used to grade and separate fish according to their sizes.

Two types of fish grading equipment are:

• Manual fish graders: Manual fish graders are made of boxes that are fitted with different sized screens, each relating to a range of physical fish size. It allows small fishes to go through the screen while retaining the larger ones in the box.
• Mechanical fish graders: Mechanical fish graders is a machine that is used in grading fish into different size.

Water Testing Kit

Water testing kit is a must-have item in fish farming. Water testing kits are used to measure important parameters in aquaculture. Some testing methods use reagents and colour discs to make a visual determination of the parameter concentration. Other testing methods use reagents and titration procedures to measure parameter concentration. Water quality parameters such as; Dissolved oxygen, temperature level and pH are monitored and kept at acceptable ranges to achieve the best results in fish farming.

Source of water

Adequate water supply is essential for the success of a fish farm and lack of it may result in disaster because water needs to be changed at regular interval. Naturally available sources of water such as borehole and river water are the most suitable. However, rainwater and water from a chemically treated source like tap water are not recommended for fish farming.

This is to serve as a water reservoir from which water is supplied to the ponds. The water tank is connected to the fish ponds through a plumbing system to make it convenient for water to flow into the ponds when needed.

Fingerlings

  The life cycle of a fish starts with an egg. The egg hatches into what is called a yolk sac. The larva stage begins when the fish has absorbed the yolk and starts feeding for itself. The fry is the development stage of fish immediately after the larva stage. When the fish gets bigger and looks very much like an adult, it is considered a fingerling.

The fingerling is the development stage of fish following the fry stage and continuing into the first three to four months of life. There is also the  yearling  which is the development stage of fish following the fingerling stage and lasting until approximately one year of age. The development stage of a fish after fingerling is what we refer to as juvenile . The best practice if one is starting a fish farming business is to buy either fingerlings or juveniles as this will save you from the headaches of mortality. There are fish farmers that specialize in hatching fingerlings and selling juveniles. It is important to get your fingerlings and juveniles from reputable fish hatcheries.  Once the fish matures and can reproduce and lay eggs, it becomes an adult.

An important part of the commercial fish farming business is feeding. Farmers should ensure they provide fishes with high quality and nutritious feeds. High quality feeds not only ensures maximum production, but it also helps to keep the fish healthy. Fish feeds occur in the form of granules or pellets. They provide the nutrition to fishes in a stable and concentrated form, enabling the fish to feed efficiently and grow to their full potential.  Fish feeds are combined with other ingredients like vegetable proteins, cereal grains, vitamins and minerals and formed into feed pellets.

There are different types of fish feeds available to fish farmers namely:

• Natural Fish Feed: This is found naturally in the pond. This include; detritus, bacteria, plankton, worms, insects, snails, aquatic plants and fish (yes, fish eat fish if they`re hungry). Natural fish feeds are naturally in the pond. They may include bacteria, plankton, worms, insects, snails, aquatic plants, molluscs and smaller fishes. Variety of natural fish feeds are found in water bodies. Their presence depends on the productivity of the water body.

The demand for natural food varies from species to species and between the age group of fishes. Natural fish feeds have high protein and fat content, which promote the growth of fishes.

• Supplementary Fish Feed: This usually includes cheap materials locally available such as terrestrial plants, maize, bone powder, kitchen wastes or agricultural by-products.
• Complete Fish Feed: Complete fish feeds are made from a mixture of carefully selected ingredients to provide all the nutrients necessary for the fish to grow well. They are made by experts who understand the perfect formula for the fish at a different stage.

After a while, the fishes become suitable for harvesting. Harvesting of fishes depends on the fish species. Harvesting is done when a sizeable number of fish reach the marketing age. Harvesting of fish id done by the aid of nets or by draining water from the pond. Harvesting should be done when in the morning or late afternoon when the temperature is low.

Harvested fishes can be sold as:

Fresh fishes

Dried fishes

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Understanding the export market

Should you consider exporting harvested fishes, you need to ensure that you understand your target market(s).

This involves researching your export destination(s). 

Good market research isn’t all about assembling facts and figures, it should focus on what drives the target market(s) and how to get the best out of it.

 Tips to Understand the market

• Gather basic market information, from import regulations to trade statistics. You can make use of available Market Analysis tools.
• Narrow the focus of your research to your product or service to make it more specific.
• Research competitor markets. (Find out what they are doing right and how they are doing it)
• Attend market-specific seminars
• Seek practical advice from experienced exporters
• Develop direct contacts with potential buyers. (You can make use of several online directories)
• Understand the market environment. (Relevant Trade Fairs and Embassies are good sources of information)

EXPORT CONTRACT DOCUMENT

• An export contract can be defined as an agreement between a seller and a buyer on the terms of export business.
• The export contract document spells out the obligations of both the buyer and the seller.
• This document is issued by the exporter and the importer.

QUALITY ASSURANCE DOCUMENTS

• Quality assurance documents are documents that help to ensure exported goods conform to safety measures (as stated by agreed terms of the contract and international conventions). Using international recognized bodies is very important.
• Relevant quality assurance documents include:
• A phytosanitary certificate for agricultural, animal and plant commodities issued by Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service (NAQS).
• Health certificate for processed and semi-processed food items issued by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)

Funding options

There are numerous funding options available to help you finance your export business:

• Government export incentives
• loans (commercial banks/family and friends)
• support from financial institutions

Factoring might be an attractive way to help your cash flow. Factoring is a financial transaction where the receivables (such as the invoice) is given to a third party, called a factor for a fee.

Other ways of funding include loans from friends and family, commercial banks. To access bank loans, one would have to write a bankable proposal.

When writing a bankable proposal take into account the following steps:

• Familiarize yourself with the responsibilities of each financial organization
• Prepare funding request based on their priorities
• Get a copy of their template and use it to develop your proposal
• Formally submit your proposal

Financial institutions

Financial institutions offer a lot of funding options and are therefore a very important source of export financing. Find the main institutions for financial support below.

NIGERIAN EXPORT IMPORT BANK

The Nigerian Export Import (NEXIM) bank offers a wide range of funding options for your export business.

Some of which are:

• Direct Lending Facility (DLF)
• Export Credit Insurance Facility
• Stocking Facility (for manufacturing exporters)
• ECOWAS Interstate Road Transit Scheme
• Foreign Input Facility (for manufacturing exporters)
• Local Input Facility

Below is an abridged version of a fish farm business plan

As consultants, we have years of experience in the industry and we are vast in management and are ever ready to keep supporting your business. We shall ensure that management personnel is always available for your enquiries.

Executive Summary

Fish farming is a lucrative business. Anyone with a small space who can find a market within a locality can engage in fish farming. This business plan discusses how you can set up a fish farming business.

Our business plan on fish farming will begin with the production of catfish while tilapia shall be added as time goes on. Targeted customers shall be the open market, restaurants, hotels, and grocery stores.

Over time due to expansion, we shall commence exporting the harvested fishes when the local market is satisfied.

On a small scale, the fish farming project would take approximately ₦ 4,000,000 (Four Million Naira) to be deployed as follows: Startup Expenses and Capitalization.

General Company Description

The business will be hinged on preparing the site, acquiring mobile ponds, fertilizing the ponds, buying fingerlings for the ponds, feeding the fingerlings till maturity at 6 months and then sell off as either fresh fish or as dried fish. Having sold off, we stock again and repeat the process of brood and sale.

Mission Statement

To create employment opportunities for others, provide protein to the populace and help save some foreign exchange for Nigeria.

Company Goals and Objectives 

The company aims to be a successful company that is a leader in customer service and that has a loyal customer following. Our objective will be to have our fish from our farm being consumed by every household in Nigeria.

Target Customer 

There are no religious, cultural or demographic barriers on the consumption of fishes. Therefore, our customers shall be the open market, restaurants and grocery shops. Over time with reasonable expansion, we shall commence exporting the product when the local market is saturated.

Industry Analysis

The fish farm industry generates lots of money from fish farming through retail of fish. The growth of the fish farm industry is expected to continue to rise as more Nigerians are seeking to add fish and other seafood products to their diets for both the taste and health benefits associated with seafood.

Customer Profile

The Company intends to do business with markets, fishery coops, and fish/seafood wholesalers that will acquire the company’s inventories of fish.

Fish Farming Marketing Plan

The Fishery’s marketing operations will be minimal as once the Company solidifies an ongoing relationship with fishery coops and wholesalers, very little marketing will be required to maintain these relationships.

At the onset of operation, we intend to aggressively develop a relationship with local and regional fish sellers that will assist the fish farm in maintaining the pricing (through forward and future contacts) so that the sale of fishes will always be a stream of income.

However, in the future, we might seek to brand certain fish items that we produce. In this instance, the farm will hire a marketing/advertising firm to properly position the farm’s image and brand so that it can directly sell packaged fish to major groceries, supermarkets, farmer’s markets, and retailers.

This Fishery intends to maintain an extensive marketing campaign that will ensure maximum visibility for the business in its targeted market. Below is an overview of the marketing strategies and objectives of the Fishery.

Marketing Objectives

We intend to develop a relationship with major groceries and fish/seafood wholesalers that will purchase bulk inventories from us.

Pricing shall be as follows

The prices of our fish shall be average prices and compete on quality and service.

Credit policy shall be on a cash and carry basis.

As stated in the executive summary, the fish farm is intended to bosom into a multi-fish producing farm that will spawn, grow, and distribute its fish to seafood wholesalers throughout the target market.

Facts of the industry

The size of the market is a huge one as almost everybody eats fish.

Change in government regulations would favour the business because there will be a ban on imported fish.

Features and Benefits

In operating a fish farm, the business will be contributing to the reduction of unemployment by employing as much as will be profitable to us.

Our after-sale services will include delivery, service contracts, support for processing, follow-up on startup fish farms, and refund policy.

The customer base shall cut across all religions, ages, gender, location, social class, educational level and occupation.

For business customers, we have open market, restaurants and grocery shops

Competition

Most fish farmers depend on imported fish feed. However, due to its cost, the farm intends to formulate its feed which will be nutritive enough but cheaper, translating into higher profits even if the farm sells cheaper.

The unique corner of the market is just to start producing table size fish for resellers, restaurants etc.

Sales Strategy

Sales strategy shall be through phone call and personal contacts to inform people of our readiness to sell at maturity and average prices.

Advertising: phone calls, short text messages, posters and handbills.

The farm will use pursue other methods such as dealer incentives, word of mouth and network of friends and professionals.

Distribution Channels

The distribution channel shall be through retail for families, wholesale for resellers, agents and independent representatives who might want some commission are also welcome.

Sales Forecast

Except for a 10% mortality rate, which is provided for in any animal husbandry outfit, 95% of fishes are expected to be sold.

Operational Plan

Daily operation of the business will be feeding the fishes on the farm. Changing of water and monitoring water parameters as at when due.

The ponds are washed, fertilized and stocked with fingerlings, feeding continues until maturity is achieved.

Aerated water constantly flows through the pond to achieve an artificial stream. Depending on the age and size of the fish, quantity of feed, measured in kg, is used in the feeding.

Customers are placed on notice when the fish will mature.

Daily feed consumption is noted to ensure that the farm has enough feed to last for  1 month before restocking.

Our consultants are always ready to assist with our product development and general support.

Legal Environment

The farm shall be registered with CAC (Corporate Affairs Commission) in affiliation with NASSI (Nigerian Association of Small Scale Industrialists) and AFAN (All Farmers Association of Nigeria).

The number of employees shall be 2 for a start, the type of labour shall be skilled, and professional input shall be on consultation. Over time, the farm shall evolve a schedule and written procedures and job descriptions for employees. For certain functions, contract workers will be used in addition to employees.

Major inventory in this business is fish and the feed, with some fuel to pump water. The farm shall also keep feed raw materials since it intends to formulate and prepare its feed. We are looking at inventory investment of ₦ 600,000.00 (Six Hundred Thousand Naira only). The lead-time for orders is 1 month.

Credit Policies

The farm does not plan to sell on credit because it is not customary in this industry and clients would neither be expecting it.

Professional and Advisory Support

Board of directors:

Accountant:

Insurance agent:

Consultants:  

Mentors and key advisors:

Financial Plan

The financial plan consists of a 12-month cash-flow projection and a break-even calculation. Together they constitute a reasonable estimate of the company’s financial future. 12-Month Profit and Loss Projection

Business Plan Projected Cash Flow

The profit projection is the heart of our business plan, cash flow is the blood that the heart pumps.

Do you need a fish farming business plan? Reach out to MATOG CONSULTING, we are experts in writing business plans alongside a detailed and comprehensive financial model.

Call 08023200801 or email [email protected]

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How To Export Dried And Smoked Fish

mms plus October 15, 2023 SHIPPERS GUIDE Leave a comment 658 Views

According to a study sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the quantity of dried and smoked catfish, tilapia and other types of fish exported from West Africa to the United Kingdom was estimated at over 500 tonnes per year; with a retail value of nearly $20 million.

Nigeria alone exports about 5 tonnes of smoked fish per month (via airfreight). Other major exporting countries are Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Cameroon.

However, with stricter regulations on food imported into the US and Europe, Africans are finding it difficult to exploit the million-dollar foreign market for smoked and dried fish.

This article reveals the secrets of the trade and how you can take advantage.

A quick introduction to the dried and smoked fish export business in Africa

The huge trade in smoked-dried fish is a consequence of the growing demand by the increasing number of Africans living in the diaspora. The US and Europe remain the major destinations for Africans who venture abroad.

As a result of this transcontinental migration, and a growing appreciation for African flavours and food, the demand for dried and smoked fish appears to be going through the roof.

While it was easy in recent years to send container loads of smoked fish across the seas to the US and Europe, increasing health and bioterrorism concerns have led to very strict rules on imported food and animal produce.

We shall examine the two largest markets for dry and smoked fish, their strict regulations and how you can meet them to make money from these huge markets.

It is important to note that up to 40 percent of smoked fish exported from Africa is detained, returned or destroyed at US and European ports due to simple mistakes such as improper packaging and labeling, inadequate compliance with paperwork, insect infestation and mould growth on the products.

To be successful in this business, you must focus on the details and be careful to comply with ALL the requirements.  (photo credit: africa-blogs.mirror.co.uk)

How to export Dried and Smoked fish to the UK and Europe

The new European Union (EU) regulations ban all  ‘commercial’  consignments of smoked fish from Africa (and other non-EU countries) from entering the EU region.

This regulation has seriously reduced the volume of smoked fish that can be exported to Europe.

However,  ‘personal’  exports are still allowed. Personal exports are small quantities of smoked fish (not more than 20kg in total weight).

This regulation is designed to prevent wholesale export of smoked fish to Europe. ‘Personal export’ includes consignments that are 20kg (or less) and may be carried as hand luggage while travelling.

It can also be sent (by mail or freight) directly to private addresses and named individuals in the EU for personal consumption only. Any exports to registered businesses in the EU or export quantities beyond the 20kg limit will not be allowed and will be seized and/or destroyed at EU ports.

This new policy has essentially killed smoked fish wholesale businesses in Europe who are presently unable to legally import commercial quantities of these products into the EU. This presents a huge opportunity to small African businesses interested in exporting smoked fish to Europe.

Export sizes are now much smaller (limited to 20kg) and can be sold directly to individuals in Europe. Your exports could be posted to target customers via airfreight, and should get to them within 24 hours.

You could sell directly to persons visiting Africa on business or holidays and send it over to them (via airfreight) on a repeat basis while they are back in Europe.

Exporting the minimum 20kg requirement is favourable to a Smallstarter because it significantly reduces the business risk involved.

This reduced quantity has reduced the amount of capital needed to start this business and allows you to sell directly to the consumers at retail prices (which greatly increases the profit potential).

Note: The European Union regulations governing food and beverage imports are constantly changing. To remain updated on the rules, you should make it a habit to check out the Fishery Products Import section of the UK Food Standards Agency.

How to export Dried and Smoked fish to the United States

Unlike Europe, it is still possible to export commercial quantities of smoked and dried fish to the USA, another huge market for the product.

However, following the passing of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002,  ‘all facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or store food, beverages, or dietary supplements that may be consumed in the United States by humans or animals are required to be registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) .’

The registration process is likely to include an inspection of the facility where your dried and smoked fish is produced. Companies located outside the United States must choose a US Agent who will be responsible for communicating with the FDA and handle any necessary paperwork.

Having a Certificate of Registration assures customers and suppliers that you have complied with all FDA regulations.

Registrar Corp is a good place to start your journey if you’re interested in supplying to the US market. They have food safety experts trained in FDA inspections who can offer experienced advice and help you get prepared to gain FDA approval.

Because the rules around importing food to the US change from time to time, it’s always a great idea to be on top of the most current information.

During the course of our research for this article, we came across a couple of good resources and give our top three recommendations as follows:

• Express Guidelines for Importing Food to the United States – This is a very detailed resource on the DHL website. It contains a lot of stuff you’ll be interested in if you intend to export food stuff to the US.
• Importing Food for Commercial Sale (Resale) is another great resource on the website of the US Customs and Border Protection. New alerts are issued on the site from time to time.
• Rules, Regulations and Procedures for importing food to the United States – Although this document originated from the Kabul Embassy in Afghanistan, it contains a lot of detail on the subject. It’s a 7-page PDF document and should take you less than 5 minutes to read. However, we noticed a lot of the links on the document are quite dead.

Success tips for aspiring smoked fish exporters…

As you now know, the regulations around food imports to the EU and USA are very strict. You must be ready to comply with all these regulations to avoid seizure or destruction of your products at the destination port.

First, the smoked and dried fish must be well processed and preserved. If the fish is not smoked using the right wood, charcoal or technique, it may end up with high levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH).

These substances are considered by the US and European Union to be dangerous to human health and are claimed to cause cancer. Smoked fish consignments containing  more than 5 micrograms per kilogram  of these substances may not be allowed into any of these countries.

Another common reason why smoked and dried fish consignments are seized is insect infestation and mould growth. If the fish still contain a considerable amount of moisture after drying and smoking, it’s very likely to attract insects and moulds which significantly reduce the quality of the products, and of course, the money you can make from them (that’s if they get to get through the foreign borders).

Other common causes of seizure are incomplete documentation or improper labeling and packaging. You must ensure that you are aware of the required paperwork and work with the custom broker and importer to make sure everything is in place.

How to find buyers for your dried and smoked fish

There are a couple of options for aspiring exporters to find buyers and opportunities in the international markets. All of them are cost-free and provide the information, contacts and networks you need to become successful in the trade.

#1 – Register with an Export Promotion agency in your country

The traditional and most popular place to start your quest to find buyers is to register with an Export Promotion organization in your country. These are usually set up by governments to develop and promote export trade in the country.

Their major objective is to increase the amount of the country’s exports by addressing challenges, obstacles and bottlenecks faced by exporters and producers. They usually provide capital (in the form of grants), make international market information available and help to link exporters to potential international buyers.

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has an Export Expansion Grant Scheme which provides incentives to local exporters to grow their businesses and foreign exchange earnings. The Kenyan Export Promotion Council also supports Kenyan exports.

#2 – Join a local trade organization 

Joining a trade organization in your country can be a very good way to gain an understanding of the dried fish export market and the tricks of the trade. These communities also allow you to network with other exporters, learn from their experiences and even get sales leads.

Often times, several exporters have to work together to fulfill large orders from big overseas clients. Being a part of a trade organization can help you find great deals.

#3 – Register with online marketplaces  

Online marketplaces like Alibaba.com and Tradekey.com are some of the most popular platforms to meet buyers and sellers on the international markets. Registration is usually free and you can create a profile as a seller with a good description of your product and some nice pictures too.

Thousands of interested buyers and sellers visit these sites everyday to see what’s on offer. It’s a very convenient and inexpensive way to meet potential customers on a global scale.

#4 – Open an online store

The internet has totally changed the way business is done. Without a physical shop and all the registration fees you need to run a traditional business, opening an online store affords you the opportunity to be available 24 hours a day, everyday! What’s more, it’s much cheaper to run, very flexible and can reach all parts of the world.

Setting up a website is easy. There are lots of free tools and services that can get you up and running in less than 30 minutes. You could write about your product, upload very good sample photos and provide your contact details so interested buyers can reach you.

#5 – Word of mouth

As outdated as it may sound in today’s world, word-of-mouth advertising still works and remains a great way to find potential customers. Social media like Facebook and Twitter make it much easier because you can share information about your products with your friends and contacts.

You never know who knows someone who needs your smoked fish. You spend a lot of time on these media anyway, it may just be time to use them for business benefit.

There are still opportunities in the dry and smoked fish export business in Africa

The size of the export market for smoked and dried fish from Africa is growing fast. Although some of the strict regulations make it difficult for most people to succeed in this business, informed and careful entrepreneurs still make a killing from it. It’s a matter of playing by the rules and looking out for more global export opportunities.

Culled from: www.smallstarter.com

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Catfish Farming, Processing (Smoking) and Packaging in Nigeria; The Feasibility Report.

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Nigerian agriculture is characterized by considerable regional and crop diversity. Analysis of this sector, particularly the food sub-sector, is fraught with serious data problems. However, the available statistics provide a broad overview of development in agriculture upon which we can make some broad generalizations about its role in economic development and structural change in Nigeria.

In the 1960s, the agricultural sector was the most important in terms of contributions to domestic production, employment and foreign exchange earnings. The situation remained almost the same three decades later with the exception that it is no longer the principal foreign exchange earner, a role now being played by oil.

The sector remained stagnant during the oil boom decade of the 1970s, and this accounted largely for the declining share of its contributions. The trend in the share of agriculture in the GDP shows a substantial variation and long-term decline from 60% in the early 1960s through 48.8% in the 1970s and 22.2% in the 1980s. Unstable and often inappropriate economic policies (of pricing, trade and exchange rate), the relative neglect of the sector and the negative impact of oil boom were also important factors responsible for the decline in its contributions.

On its diversity, Nigerian agriculture features tree and food crops, forestry, livestock and fisheries. In 1993 at 1984 constant factor cost, crops (the major source of food) accounted for about 30% of the Gross Domestic Products (GDP), livestock about 5%, forestry and wildlife about 1.3% and fisheries accounted 1.2%.

Fish farming consists of the nursery and the grow-out pond operation. The nursery involves the inducement of the female fish to lay eggs, which are then fertilized, incubated and hatched. The hatched fish are known as fries. These fries are then nurtured fro between three and four weeks into fingerlings, mini juveniles and juveniles which is the size suitable for use in the fish grow-out operation.

The fingerlings, mini juveniles and juveniles can then be nurtured for between four to five months into grow-out or table size fish suitable for sale and consumption.

The following factors is key in setting up a catfish farm in Nigeria land, access to water and drainage facility. It is important that the investor selects the best pond system to adopt namely re-circulatory system, earthen pond or concrete/plastic pond or both.

The largest operating cost is feed. There are various types of catfish feeds. The type being used at any particular time is a function of size of fish being fed, whether the fish are feeding at the surface or in the water column, and if an antibiotic is incorporated.

African catfish usually takes an average of 5 months to reach table size. At this age, they usually have attained an average weight of 1kg. The weight attained by catfish after 5 months is however variable depending on a number of factors that may include, quality of fingerlings used, quality of feeds, water management quality, absence of disease, stocking density among others. It is not uncommon to have fish weigh up to 1.5kg after five months.

Fish is a perishable item. It requires adequate preservation to keep long. It is usual for fish to be preserve under frozen condition but the current irregular supply of electricity is a major challenge even though the power supply situation has recently improved considerably.

Apart from freezing or low temperature preservation, another form of preservation that has saved fish farmers, fish merchants/sellers etc from losses is smoking. The demand for fish and fish products is increasing daily in Nigeria. This has resulted to increased fish production activities to meet the local demand.

This report seeks to examine the financial viability of engaging in catfish farming and smoking business in Nigeria.

The capacity of the proposed farm is thirty-six thousand (36,000) juveniles per production cycle of about five- six months to reach 1.5 kg table size with mortality rate of two percent (2%). After smoking we expect the weight to be around one (1) kg or more.

The farm would have two production cycle in a year. The production capacity of the kiln would be three hundred (300) kg per day and it would operate at eighty percent (80%) of the installed capacity.

Table of Contents

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1.0 Business Overview 1.1 Description of the Business 1.2 Vision and Mission Statement 1.3 Business Objective 1.4 Critical Success Factor of the Business 1.5 Current Status of Business 1.6 Description of the Business Industry 1.7 Contribution to Local and National Economy 2. Marketing Plan 2.1 Description of product 2.2 Product Packaging and delivery 2.3 The Opportunity 2.4 Pricing Strategy 2.5 Target Market 2.6 Distribution and Delivery Strategy 2.7 Promotional Strategy 2.8 Competition 3. Production Plan and Management Practices 3.1 Description of the Location 3.2 Pond Designs and Types 3.3 Water Quality 3.4 Fingerlings 3.5 Sorting 3.6 Feeding, Practices and Feed Preservation 3.7 Raw Materials 3.8 Production Equipment 3.9 Production Process 3.10 Production Cost 3.11 Stock Control Process 3.12 Pre-Operating activities and expenses 3.12.1 Operating Activities and Expenses 3.13 Project Implementation Schedule 4.0 Organizational and Management Plan 4.1 Ownership of the business 4.2 Profile of the promoters 4.3 Key Management Staff 4.3.2 Management Support Units 4.4 Details of salary schedule 5. Financial Plan 5.1 Financial Assumption 5.2 Start – Up Capital Estimation 5.3 Source of Capital 5.4 Security of Loan 5.5 Loan Repayment Plan 5.6. Profit and Loss Account 5.7 Cash Flow Analysis 5.8 Viability Analysis 6.0 Business Risk and mitigation factor 6.1 Business Risks 6.2 SWOT Analysis

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For expert business advice you can trust us.

Fish products are highly traded and global fish trade has been increasing very rapidly in recent decades with an estimated 45% of the world catch now traded internationally. West Africa has a huge potential for trade in intra-regional terms and vibrant markets for fish and fish products in Nigeria, Ghana and the Ivory Coast being the three major importers of fish products in the region. Intra-regional fish trade is important in improving food and nutritional security; and poverty eradication in Africa. However, trade has so far not served as an effective tool for the achievement of rapid and sustainable economic growth and development for many of the countries of the continent because, there is paucity of information on market structure and value of intra-regional fish trade. This information is needed to ensure the proper integration of intraregional fish trade into the nation-state policy agenda. This study therefore investigated the marketing structure, profitability and trade flow along the borders of Nigeria. In this study, Nigeria was divided into four major areas according to the countries at her borders viz: Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad, Nigeria-Niger, and Nigeria-Benin border and the Lake Kainjiinland fisheries with multi-stage experimental design adopted. Sixteen States including Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Benue, Taraba, Adamawa, Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi, Kwara, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos and Niger States along the borders were sampled. One hundred and eight (108) Local Governments Areas in the States were sampled based on the prevalence of fishing activities in these areas. Structured questionnaires were administered to a total of 814 producers, 814 processors and 814 marketers randomly selected based on their active involvement in fish marketing. Information on socio-economic characteristics, quantity and values of fish products marketed, trade flow and market structure were collected. Data collected were subjected to descriptive statistics, budgetary analysis, Gini coefficient, linear regression and ANOVA at α0.05. The results showed that fish production was dominated by males along the three borders with the highest percentage recorded in Sokoto and Katsina (100.0%), while more females were involved in processing and marketing in four States (Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Taraba and Benue States) along the Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad border with the highest percentage in Cross River (90.0% and 90.0%). About 1.69% of the fishermen along Nigeria-Cameroon border import fresh while 0.67% of the fish marketers import smoked and dried fish into Nigerian fish market. Marketers and processors of 1.51% were involved in cross-border importation of smoked fish into Nigeria through Nigeria-Benin border while 0.81% of the sampled marketers engaged in importation of fresh and dried fish products. 0.40% of the marketers and processors along Nigeria-Niger border and Lake Kainji-inland fisheries were involved in cross-border trade of dried and fried fish products. About 1.19% of the fish marketers export fried fish from Nigeria to Niger Republic through Nigeria-Niger border. Exportation of smoked fish of about 2008.22±856.51kg (₦3,260,028.25±1,231,860.25) was recorded in Jigawa State while dried fish of 1,800.00±0.00kg (₦4,606,200±0.00) and 2,500.00±0.00kg (₦4,425,000.00±0.00) were observed among respondents in Yobe and Niger States, respectively along Nigeria-Niger border and Lake Kainjiinland fisheries. Along Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad border smoked fish of 1,278.06±0.00kg (N2,581,672.22±0.00) and 951.56±214.34kg (₦2,136,666.84±306,413.18) were exported from Benue and Borno State, respectively. In Lagos State, 20.56% (1,088.75±292.76kg) and 31.69% (441.00±241.83kg) of the total smoked and dried fish, respectively traded in the State were supplied through the cross-border trade while 14.67% (2,300.00±424.26kg) and 4.50% (150.88±97.21kg) of fresh and smoked fish, respectively were imported from Benin Republic through cross-border trade in Ogun State. The Gini coefficient value for most of the actors in the States along the Nigeria-Niger border and Lake Kainji-inland fisheries was 0.34, 0.45, 0.41, and 0.43 for wholesalers of smoked fish, retailers of spiced fish, wholesalers and retailers of frozen fish respectively. The linear regression (b) coefficient for all the forms of fish were positive except for dried and fried whose b values were -7.66 and -5.15 respectively. Gini coefficients were 0.63, 0.70, 0.71 and 0.59 for fresh, smoked, dried and frozen fish markets in the States along the Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad border and the linear regression coefficient was positive for all forms of fish. The linear regression coefficient for all forms of fish marketed along the Nigeria-Benin border were positive except for fried fish with b value of -485.89. In conclusion, the fish markets along Nigeria-Niger border, Lake Kainji-inland fisheries, the Northern part of the Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad and the Nigeria-Benin border which includes Kebbi, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba States were dominated by males, while there were more females involved mainly in fish marketing and processing in the Southern part (Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Lagos and Ogun States) of these borders. Most respondents involved in fish marketing along the borders of Nigeria were married and in their economic active age with household sizes varying from medium to large. The fish markets in Nigeria-Niger border region and Lake Kainji-inland fisheries showed partial inequality in the revenue distribution of fresh smoked dried fried spiced and frozen fish; except for wholesalers of smoked, retailers of spiced, wholesalers and retailers of frozen fish. In addition, there was barrier to entry into fried and dried fish markets. Along Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad border, the fish markets exhibited partial equality in fresh, smoked, dried and frozen fish markets; except producers in fresh, processors in smoked and dried and wholesalers in dried fish markets. Evident from this study, informal cross-border trade (ICBT) of fish products were recorded across Nigeria-Cameroon-Chad, Nigeria-Benin and Nigeria-Niger Borders. The percentage of the respondents involved in ICBT were extremely low when compared to the percentage that engaged in inter-state and intra-state trade of fish products in the study areas. This is an indication that inter-regional fish trade between actors involved in fish marketing (value-chain) in Nigeria with the neighbouring countries is not a popular practice. Therefore, there is need to enhance inter-regional trade in Nigeria in order to enhance fish production in addressing food insecurity and poverty in the entire region. Dried fish was recorded as the most traded fish product across the regional borders. Therefore, structures should be put in place to enhance intraregional trade in Nigeria.

How To Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria

Looking for a resource or guide on “How To Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria”?

This article comes with a free business plan outline for a Fish farming Business in Nigeria .

Why Fish Farming?

Fish farming is the fastest-growing animal husbandry industry in Nigeria and many parts of the world. In most parts of Africa, the most cultured species is Tilapia and Catfish. In Nigeria, the demand for fish is 2.66 million metric tonnes and only 1.4 million metric tonnes is available of which the country imports over 500 000 mt annually. However, our focus tonight will be on Catfish as it is the easiest fish species to raise commercially by every startup.

Basics Requirements in Catfish Production

Learning How To Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria, The requirements for rearing African catfish include;

• Water: high quality, non-polluted water supply.
• Good Parent Stock/Broodstock: selected broodfish of known origin for fast growth.
• Water chemistry monitoring/test-kits.
• Management: be a good manager of a management plan.
• Recordkeeping.
• Business plan.
• Marketing strategy.

However, out of all the basic requirements, the most important is Water. Catfish can survive more than 7 days without eating, but cannot survive in bad water with poor oxygen for 30 minutes. That our water is looking clean does not mean the water is healthy. That is why it is important to do your water test to protect your fish water from being contaminated.

Catfish Value Chain and Phases of Production

Catfish has several stages of production, namely;

Hatchery: this is the stage at which we collect eggs and sperm from the broodstock to hatch new fishes called Fries.

Fingerling Production: This is the raising of catfish nursery from fries to fingerlings (usually 6 weeks).

Melange Production: This is the raising of catfish from fingerlings to three months in which the fish will be at an average weight size of 300-400g. At this stage, it is called mélange.

Table Size Production: It is the raising of catfish from fingerlings to an average weight size of 500–700g, usually from 4 to 5 months from fingerlings.

Grow-out stage: This is the raising of catfish from fingerlings to an average size of 1kg upward. At this stage, the fishes are in their bigger sizes.

Broodstock Production: This is the raising of catfish for the specific purpose of becoming a parent stock for the hatchery. They are raised for one year plus.

Processed Catfish: This is the aspect of processing catfish through the smoking kiln for human consumption. It is the addition of value to the fish.

As mentioned earlier, there are various pond systems of rearing catfish. However, the most common types used in Nigeria and easy to control are;

• Plastic Pond
• Tarpaulin Pond
• Concrete Pond
• Earthen Pond

You choose your pond system when you want to Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria based on the phase of production you want to focus on as each type of pond system performs better under different production phases. For instance, you can’t do hatchery in an earthen pond. Likewise, growth production is suitable in an earthen pond.

Also, you will need expert advice when choosing your pond as there are other factors needed to be considered but are peculiar to every individual.

Setting up the ponds is not difficult. The volume of space you have available will determine the method and cost of your pond construction.

Catfish Breeding

Water: Having selected your water source either through a borehole or stream, ensure the water is regularly available and not being polluted from the source. Change your water as often as possible. Within 24-48 hours interval, based on the production phase you are involved in.

Feeding: Catfish feed can either be imported or locally produced. We have various imported and local feeds in the market. Fish feeds are in pellets ranging from 0.1 mm to 9 mm in size.

Fingerlings eat 2 mm

Melange 4-6 mm

Table size 6 mm

Grow out 9 mm

New Aller Aqua feeding chart required for 1000 post fingerlings to table-size (4 months and one week)

1.3 mm 3 kg 7 days

2 mm 2 bags 14 days

3 mm 4 bags 16 days

4.5 mm 11 bags 30 days

6 mm 20 bags 40 days

8 mm 30 bags 20 days

Total: 67 bags+3 kg of 1.3 mm(starter pack feed)

Average weight:1.4 kg

Catfish Farming Systems

There major systems of rearing catfish include;

• Recycling system.
• Flow-through.
• Floating cage system.
• Earthen pond.
• Concrete and Tarpaulin pond/Household system.

Feeds and feeding in catfish farming is an important aspect that must be understood properly in order to achieve the optimum result of your investment, but first what is a feed?

Feed or fish feed is anything capable of being eaten, digested and utilised for growth and development of the body tissue. It contains nutrients such as protein, minerals, carbohydrate, fat and oil, vitamins and water. Literally, as we humans need balanced diet food to grow and glow, the same is true for fish.

Fish feeds and feeding are so important that it takes about 60-70% of the total production cost, therefore, if we can handle our feeds and feeding well, surely we are going to break even and make a profit. Catfish like to eat very early in the morning and evening. Do not feed them expired or mouldy feed.

The ability of fish to attain certain weight at a particular period of time depends mainly on feeding, stocking 1001 number of baby fish (fingerlings) is not hard since they are cheap to buy but the ability and capability to feed them with good feeds at the right time and appropriately till maturity is a thing we should never joke with.

The feed to be used when you want to Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria must be cheap and also should make the fish grow quickly, with the right quantity at the lowest possible cost.

Types of Feeds

Floating Feed: is water-stable. This means it does not sink but is often expensive. It allows the farmer to see the response of fish to the feed. This type of feed is in different sizes ranging from 0.2-6.5 mm, depending on the size and age of the fish.

Sinking Feed: it is generally referred to as local sinking pellet, not as expensive as the floating feed. It easily dissolves in water, and it is also cheap.

Supplementary Feed: it includes maggot, poultry waste, fish offal, brewery waste, etc. It is used to supplement the main feeds. It can be given at any period of the day, it helps to prevent cannibalism.

Fish feeds must be stored in a cool dry place. Wet food such as maggot, fish offal/ poultry waste must be refrigerated or should be processed by boiling or by sun-drying to reduce the moisture content. This will inhibit the growth of spoilage microbes.

Also, try not to mix floating and sinking feed together. And when changing fish feeds from floating to sinking, use 70:30 i.e 70% of new feed and 30% of the old feed. Economically it is not advisable or wise, to use floating feed throughout the rearing period but rather change the feed to sinking when the fish reaches the post-juvenile stage.

Major Feed Ingredients in Fish Feed

• Conventional.Maize meal.

a. Soybean meal.

b. Groundnut cake meal.

c. Blood meal.

d. Vitamin and mineral premix.

e. Bone meal.

f. Oyster shell.

• Non-conventional.

a. Cassava rubber.

c. Hatchery waste.

Feed Formulation

Feed formulation is the combination of two or more ingredients with known chemical composition to meet the nutrient requirements (needs) of fish at a particular stage of production.

Methods of feed formulation.

A. Pearson square method.

B. Trail and error method.

C. Computer method.

• Check your formula (feed formulation) before going to the feed mill.
• Be sure that the ingredients are weighed correctly in your presence.
• Check the ingredients properly whether they are not mouldy, infested, or stale.
• Reject infested feed ingredients.
• Do not leave your feed with the feed miller.
• Use clean sacks for your feed.

Fish could be fed twice or thrice in a day. Fish should be given feed in the morning and evening. The farmer should be consistent and stick to a particular time of feeding.

• Do not feed when the weather is hot.
• Avoid improper storage of feed.
• Do not feed the fish with dung, excreta or faeces
• Do not overfeed or underfeed your fish.
• Feed at regular time.

Harvesting when you want to Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria is done when your fish reaches maturity or has reached your desired size or stage. This can be Fingerling, Juvenile, Jumbo, Smokeable or Table size.

Harvesting techniques can either be Partial harvesting or Total harvesting.

A. Partial harvesting is done during sampling or if there is a need to check the health status of a fish, for lab analysis, or during treatment. The water is not totally drained and not all the fish will be harvested.

B. Total harvesting is done when the farmer wants to sell or transfer the fish from a pond to another pond or tank. Here, the water will be completely drained and all the fish will be harvested.

There are different types of equipment used in fish farming, but harvesting equipment in fish farming is known as fishing gear. Examples are Dragnet, Cast net, Scoop net, Hook and line etc. It is advisable to harvest only during the cool period of the day. Fishing gear that will injure the fish should not be used e.g cast net, hook line, set net spear arrow and the likes. Do not keep harvested fish under the sun, heap the fish, or transport harvested fish during hot weather.

Processing/Preservation

Fish processing/smoking is also known as fish preservation. It is the mechanism used in increasing the shelf life of the fish. It is highly perishable as it has over 60% moisture content. It tends to spoil immediately after death when not processed or preserved. Fish can be preserved by adding salt (2-3kg) to 1kg of fish in an airtight container or iced, or refrigerated. Also, fish can be processed into Smoked fish, Canned fish, Sun-dried fish etc The smoked fish business is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria. Even if you do not know how to hatch fish seed or have a pond, you can still venture into fish smoking business with just a little start-up capital. It is highly lucrative.

As of today, the demand for fish and fish products surpasses its supply. Almost everybody eats fish either dried or fresh, compared to other products such as pork and beef that are being affected by religious and medical constraints, respectively.

Fish has Omega-3 Fatty Acids, which is highly essential to the body and it can be sold to people of every kind in hotels, churches, at conferences, meetings, banks, individual door-to-door delivery etc

Now that you know How To Start A Fish Pond Business In Nigeria, are you ready to get a business plan?

How To Download The Complete Catfish Farming Business Plan In Nigeria PDF and Doc

Above is a part of the catfish business plan in Nigerian. If you want the complete catfish farming business plan with 3 years of financial analysis, follow the procedures to download it.

Pay the sum of  N8000  ( Eight thousand naira only)  to the account detail below: Bank: GTBank Name: Oyewole Abidemi (I am putting my name and not our company account so you know we are real people and you can trust us) Ac/No: 0238933625 Type: Saving

P.S: We can also tailor the business plan to your name, business size, capital requirements, and more to fit your direct needs.

Thereafter, send us your email address through text message to  +234 701 754 2853 .  The text must contain the title of the business plan you want and also your email address. Immediately after the confirmation of your payment, we will send the ginger business plan in Nigeria to your email address where you can easily download it.

Dr. Abi Demi is a skilled technical writer and author with specialties in the martech and fintech space. Featured on Tekedia, Coin Review, Business Insider, Fintechna, Cryptocoin.news, Date 360 and several other sterling online publications, Demi is an astute technical writer that specializes in finance, marketing and technology - with over 500 published pieces across the internet ecosystem. Contact Abi Demi - [email protected]

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Business Plan

Catfish Farming Business Plan in Nigeria / Feasibility Study

by BusinessPlan 13 Comments

Do you need a catfish farming business plan and feasibility study to start your catfish farming business in Nigeria? Then here is a detailed guide and business plan to starting a catfish business in Nigeria or anywhere in the world.

DOWNLOAD SAMPLE CATFISH FARMING BUSINESS PLAN IN NIGERIA.

To get your catfish farming business plan in Nigeria, pay the N10, 000 to:

BANK NAME: GUARANTY TRUST BANK (GTB)

ACCOUNT NAME:  CHIBUZOR TOCHI ONYEMENAM

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 0044056891

Catfish farming is one of the most profitable business ventures in Nigeria. Most people start out with Catfish, which is relatively easy to cultivate and very lucrative. In this review, we will show you all you need to know about running a standard fishery in Nigeria – all the facts and information, equipment required, business plan, profit, risks, challenges and gross revenue.

Read: Feed Mill Business Plan in Nigeria

Also read: feasibility study on poultry farming in nigeria.

In times past, fish could only be obtained from ponds and rivers; and those who owned lands where ponds ran through usually made a fortune from extensive fish trade. Today, a commercial fish farm can easily be invented through the construction of man-made ponds, supplied with adequate water. It can be constructed anywhere – from your backyard to your front yard – as long as there is sufficient water supply. Below-listed are some of the advantages of owning a fish farm, challenges you might encounter, risks you should be wary of, and the detailed process to follow in setting up your own farm.

Advantages of Fish Farming

To start with, fishery products are the most popular animal products found in the Nigerian marketplace. Fish is cheaper than meat, so it sells faster. It is affordable even to average households.

High protein supply: Fish is a great protein source. It is low on fat, and contains vitamins like Riboflavin and vitamin D, as well as omega-3 fatty acids, which are helpful to the health and operations of the human heart and brain. Omega-3 fatty acids are not synthesized in the body, so they must be regularly taken in as part of our diet – through fish and a few other sources – to meet the body’s demands. Fish also contains good amounts of calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, and iodine.

Fish farming is very lucrative. With adequate preparation, execution and management, one could earn between three and seven million naira with an investment of three million naira, after just six months. The size of your pond and the scale you want it to be operated on will eventually determine how much you will invest in it. Big ponds will require lots of fish, more construction costs, more employees, and etcetera; and these all terminate in one end – more money invested, and of course, more profits.

Fish has a rapid growth cycle; and besides that, fish farmers can make use of special feeds to enhance the growth rate of their fish. This way, they can reap and resell their fish within a short time.

Fish farms are environment-friendly. Much unlike poultry farming, fisheries can be established practically anywhere as they do not pose an environmental hazard. If your house is big enough, a pond can easily be constructed in one corner or at the backyard.

Fish farming and Poultry Keeping complement each other as the droppings from Poultry can be used to make feeds for the fish, especially catfish.

Potential Problems, Risks and Drawbacks of Fish Farming

In fish farming, there are no by-products. Much unlike in poultry keeping, where by products like the bird droppings can be sold as manure or components of fish feeds, and eggs can be sold to consumers thereby constituting an extra income in poultry keeping; fish farming has no such ‘byproduct advantage’.

Due to the production costs, fish from man-made ponds are usually costlier than those obtained by fishermen from rivers. Thus, there is a challenge: if customers in your target market are being supplied by local fishermen, you may have a trouble retaining them, as the fish from the fishermen is likely to be considerably cheaper than yours.

Compared to setting up a poultry or snail farm, establishing a fish farm is more expensive. It is capital intensive and involves a lot of planning. A small-sized pond costs about half a million naira to setup, but this is as a result of the cost of hiring labour and the construction costs. You might as well save yourself some amount of money if you could do the construction work by yourself. However, as long as you retain your target consumers, you will always have returns on your investments.

Fish are delicate animals that require careful management. Any slight error in maintenance could lead to a drop in fish production. In some cases, some fishes may die, and this amounts to financial losses.

Factors to Consider Before Starting a Fishery

Technical Expertise and Planning: Just like any other successful business venture, fish farming necessitates extensive planning, experience and capabilities before setting up. One would need to accurately understand the techniques and mechanisms of fish farming, as well as the costs of procuring and maintaining the required machinery. When planning for a fish farm, the conditions around the prospective location, source of water, water flow frequency, temperature, the suitability of the environmental elements in that vicinity to the farm, natural resources, and several other factors need to be considered.

Accreditation and Registration: This makes your business legal. Before you begin operations, you will be required to register with the Corporate Affairs Commission, and also obtain authorization from associations linked with fish farming.

Selecting the Fish to Use: Well, it would be absurd for you to introduce any fingerling you encounter into your pond. You might just be rearing something deadly. The truth is, not all kinds of fish are suitable for farming. Some are toxic and must not be eaten, while it is dangerous to try to cultivate some, and some others may not live long in fresh water. Listed below are a number if the most common types of fish good for fish farming.

Titus (Mackerel) – this is the most popular fish in the Nigerian marketplace. However, it does not survive in fresh water, so it is impossible to get this from artificial ponds. It can only be obtained from sea water (saline water) by fishermen. Do not try to add salt to your pond water; it won’t work.

Catfish – a large percentage of fish farmers in Nigeria deal in Catfish. It is very easy to cultivate, and many new fish farmers start with it.

Tilapia – this is also very common in the Nigerian marketplace. It is known for inhabiting fresh shallow water. It is relatively easy to cultivate, and it has a rapid growth and reproduction cycle.

Financial Evaluations: This comprises of costs of construction – developing the design, costs of fingerlings, comprehensive lists and costs of machinery, running costs, power supply, fish feed, cost of hiring labour, capital, structures and buildings, constructing ponds, plumbing works, pipes, nets, tanks and aerators, oxygen meters, boots and other operational gear, and etcetera.

Available Target Markets: You should have a clearly-defined target market before venturing into fish farming. Once you have sorted out the issue of having a target market for your fish, check the demand status (whether your products will be in high demand at some point in the year or otherwise) so you can know how to plan your production schedule and maintain a workable marketing strategy and sales policy in case of excess production.

Economics: This essentially refers to starting out on a small scale, say with just under 100 fingerlings. When you have a regular and well-ordered amount of fish, you can conveniently manage whatever comes with fish cultivation; like the water, food and environmental conditions.

The Environment:  The environment is very important and must be put into careful consideration. This is because your farm may stand a risk of invasion by vandals, birds, cats, insects, and snakes. The condition of the environment may be connected to the normal climatic conditions like humidity, amount of sunshine and rainfall, and etcetera. These environmental conditions go a long way in determining the type of habitat to be designed for fish farming.

At www.businessplan.com.ng, we are a team of professional business plan writers and we have written and packaged a professional catfish business plan and feasibility study to help potential or existing catfish farmers who are interested in sourcing for funds from private investors, bank loans, business grants and other business related competitions.

As writing a professional business plan can be very technical and demanding, we have done the tedious work for you. Purchasing this sample catfish business plan will save you a lot of time energy and money. All you will have to do is to edit sections of the business plan to suit your business and location

This complete catfish farming business plan is in Micro Soft Word (MS Word) document format and the financial analysis is in MS Excel format so that you can touch it up to your preferences.

In the catfish business plan and feasibility study contains the following:

1)      Table of Contents of the Catfish Business Plan and Feasibility Study

2)      Executive Summary: The summary includes introduction, products and services description, marketing and sales of the catfish business

3)      Company Overview : This includes: mission statement, history and current status of business, market and products, objectives, keys to success and cost summary

4)      Product description: Description of the product (Catfish). This includes: the size, length, weight, etc.

5)      Industry and Market Analysis: Introduction, industry analysis, market analysis, customer analysis, competitor analysis, S.W.O.T analysis

6)      Marketing Strategy: Target market strategy, product/service strategy, pricing strategy, distribution strategy, advertising and promotion strategy, sales strategy, marketing and sales forecasts

7)      Operations: Operations strategy, scope of operations, operating expenses

8)      Development: Development strategy, development timeline, development expenses

9)      Management: Company organization, management team, administrative expenses

10)   Summary of Financials: Financial assumptions, financial forecasts, projected cash flow, income statement

iii.      Balance sheet: Profit and loss, profit margin, chart etc, financial risks

11)   Appendices: Support for product/service description, support for marketing and sales plan, support for development plan, support for operations plan, resumes of management team

Financial Statements: Income statement [3 years], balance sheets [3 years], cash flow Statements [3 years],ratio analysis [3 years],other supporting financial statements

To get your catfish farming business plan / feasibility study in Nigeria, pay the N10, 000 to:

BANK NAME: FIRST BANK PLC

ACCOUNT NUMBER: 3066880122

After payment, send the following details to 07033378184

• Your Depositors Name
• Teller Number
• Amount Paid
• The Business plan you paid for (Catfish business plan in your case)
• Your Email Address

We will send your complete Catfish business plan/feasibility study to your email within 15 minutes after payment.

For Inquiries call – 07033378184

Catfish Farming Business Plan in Nigeria / Feasibility Study © www.businessplan.com.ng

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I love this Post

Thanks for the informative post

I’m interested in this information

Hi Jerry, If you are interested, call us at 07033378184. Thank you.

it’s a great idea. I love it. thanks to the admin.

This is good, thanks for the information, will get back to you.

I have an half plot of land already, how much do I need to set up the tank, plumbing and other equipment (cat fish not included).

I’m Mr. Noveh L. Lumayag I like to make a catfish pond the are of mine is 3.75 hectares but i have a little problem about financial and how to start. I’m here in Saudi Arabia as now working planning next year to start this project. Please help me Admin.

Good day @ Amin, Please this is my project in school, is there anyway u can help. Thank you

I would like to have a small cat fish farm within my abode. Can a space of about five feet by four serve the purpose? If yes, how do I go about it. Thanks.

What’s the likely budget to start a small cat fish farm within a residence? What are the processes?

Indeed you have done a good job to ease people that lack knowledge on how to start a business. Going through the preamble alone can give someone knowledge on how to be self employed. Keep it up.

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