5 Things to consider before starting a fish pond

Yesterday, I wrote an article pointing out why agribusiness is good for you. If you did not find time to read it, find it here!

Today, we look at fish farming. If you look around, you will realize that the demand for fish is high while the supply is low. That explains why a small fish can even go for 200 shillings.

It is this ready market that you should take advantage of. Before you do, here are 5 things you should consider.

1. Land. Ensure that the land is not steep, is large enough for your present and future plans, and is not prone to flooding. The land should also be generally lower than the water source to ensure that water flows naturally to cut on costs of pumping water.
2. Water supply. You should locate your pond somewhere close to continuous supply of clean water. The water should also be free of insects, toxic substances and predators.
3. Soil. The soil should be free of rocks, deep enough and with a layer of clay soil somewhere below to avoid seepage. 
4. Infrastructure. If you come from a rural area where the road network is bad, you might want to lobby with your constituents to get better roads! A good road network will ensure that you can bring supplies to the farm and take your products to the market smoothly. You will also need mobile telephony network coverage to make and receive calls for the business. You should also try to get electricity to your area.
5. Market. We have mentioned that there is always a market for fish, so it should not be a big problem selling some fish. But if you are planning to go large scale, you should look for a bigger market than your village. For a start, you should contact hotels in the nearest town.

There are other factors you should consider before you start farming fish like availability of inputs, personnel, general land use in your area and legal issues. 

Above all other things, I think you need to visit fish farmers and get their personal accounts of how they started, the challenges they face and how they have managed so far. And once you start selling your fish, don't forget to send me one or two!

- Karani Kelvin - sirkarani@gmail.com