NAN-AE-2
Certification
By Chidinma Ewunonu-Aluko
Ibadan, May 12, 2017 (NAN) Catfish Farmers Association of Nigeria (CAFAN) has urged the Federal Government to hasten the process for the certification of Nigeria’s fish species to boost fish exports and national revenue.
The National President of CAFAN, Mr Rotimi Oloye, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan on Friday.
Oloye said that the Federal Government should create an environment that was conducive to fish farming, while assisting youths who were interested in fish farming with economic empowerment schemes.
He urged the government to sustain the Growth Enhancement Scheme (GES), in which fish farmers were supported with fish feeds supplies at subsidised rates.
He said that the cost of fish production inputs was still high in spite of the fact that the foreign exchange rate had been relatively stable in recent times.
“Charges are being collected on raw materials being imported into the country; when these ingredients — maize, soya and additives — are turned into fish feeds, the government agencies still charge V.A.T on the feeds.
“This is an additional burden on fish farmers and it increases their cost of production. People are not encouraged to go into fish farming because of paucity of funds and high cost of production.
“Presently, no farm is producing at 100-per-cent capacity utilisation due to financial problems, we need loans at single digit interest rates and government intervention to produce enough for local consumption and exports,” he said.
However, Oloye said that the association was planning to provide free training on fish farming to interested youths all over the country.
“Our state chapters are empowered to organise training and workshops on monthly basis for the youth; the training is free and we get support from our partners to cover the costs,’’ he said.
The CAFAN president said that the fish industry had the capacity to feed the nation and close the vacuum, created by non-availability of foreign exchange to import fish, if the fish farmers were well-motivated.
“We need to boost food security, create jobs, wealth and earn foreign exchange via fish exports; any failure to do the needful may take us back to slavery.
“This is because foreigners will come to set up fish farms, employ our people and give them meagre salaries,” he added. (NAN)
CC/MO/OOK
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Edited by Morayo Omolade and Dayo Komolafe