₦airaland Forum

jamp:
Interesting.oga are u into fish too

No but involved with development agencies.

Congratulations to him.

Confession time...

The Lord is our strength.

Nairobi is warm as we drive through Westlands, into the City Centre and then down to Thika Superhighway.

The previous day before making the trip last week, we had been informed that the weather is cold, but as we drove, we realised how tough the job of the weatherman is.

The weather has become extremely fickle, and many farmers are on the receiving end.

About 20km down the superhighway, we branch off to the Eastern bypass and then later onto Kangundo Road to Ruai, a sprawling suburb that has become a real estate hub.

Ruai is dry and dusty, perhaps why real estate is taking precedence in the area. We are in the fast-growing district to meet Domiciano Maingi, a fish farmer.

Dressed in a white shirt emblazoned with tilapia and catfish, one may not immediately notice how symbolic the shirt is to him, until they reach his Fish Paradise Farm.

Spread on the five acres are 18 fish ponds hosting mainly catfish, which Maingi has nicknamed jumbos because of their huge size.

The farmer keeps 60,000 fish in the ponds, most of which are catfish, while the others are tilapia.

I first met Maingi in Nakuru last month during a fish farmers’ forum organised by United Nations Industrial Development Organisation and the Aqua-cultural Association of Kenya.

CATFISH FILLET

It is at the forum that I learnt of his passion for fish farming, and the reason why he founded the association in 2007, which was registered in 2008. He serves as the chairman of the organisation. At the farm, his employees fish from the water three jumbos at various stages of growth. The first weighs 15kg, the second 12kg and the third 10kg. The fish are a spectacle.

“You want to end up with such fish, or even one that weights over 50kg, then you must feed them well. It is all about feeding and you achieve the weight you desire in about 10 to 12 months,” says the farmer of the venture that he invested an average of Sh500,000 (N1,000,000) per pond.

The jumbos are for clients who want to make catfish fillet. He sells them at Sh500 (N1,000)per kilo, just like the other fish that he harvests at six months.

He harvests the other fish while weighing about 2kg for catfish and 300 to 400g for tilapia. The former is fast-maturing.

“Every pond always has at least two 50kg bags of cow manure floating inside. The manure helps to fertilise the ponds and boost the growth of algae, which is food for fish.”

Maingi makes his own fish feeds that comprise of fish meal (omena), cotton seed cake, wheat bran and Vitamin supplements.

“I ensure the fish feeds contain 40 per cent proteins for the catfish and between 28 to 30 per cent of the same nutrient for the tilapia. Catfish are carnivorous, thus, if not well fed they can even eat the smaller fish.”

He has one full-time worker who feeds the fish twice a day at 11am and 3pm.

However, he adds the number of workers on special days such as during harvesting and when changing water from the ponds after every two months.

The farmer buys fingerlings from Kenya Fish Research Institute, Sagana and Jambo fish farms at Sh10 (N20) for tilapia and Sh15 (N30) each for catfish, ensuring that he ends up with high quality produce.


“There are many fish breeders around, who sell fingerlings for as low as Sh3 (N6) but they are not of good quality. It is the reason why I do not produce mine. I want to focus on rearing them to maturity, and leave breeding to those who know.”

His clients are diverse, ranging from processors, to hotels and general fish dealers, and he has maintained most of them since 2000 when he started the fish project.

He sells the fish once every two months, earning an average of Sh500,000 (N1,000,000).

“But I am working on having mature fish every eight months through synchronisation. I have learnt from experts that everyone who owns more than two ponds can actually produce fish monthly.”

Maingi gets water from a seasonal river which passes through his farm.

And when it cannot supply him with the precious commodity, he turns to his tanks.

“I have a reservoir in which I store rainwater which I use when I want to change water in the ponds.”

FISH ADDICT

Maingi recounts that his passion for fish started when he was five. Then, a Mr Ochieng, Maingi’s father’s workmate introduced him to fish.

“He gave me a piece of fish almost daily and told me to make it a regular diet so that I can end up a very intelligent person,” he recalls, adding, “I am until now, a fish addict. I do not like, I dearly love fish.”

His focus currently is the export market after the country was cleared to export fish to the European Union two weeks ago.

AAK, the government and other stakeholders had lobbied the EU to access the since 2012.

Maingi is among other fish farmers who have been trained through a European Union funded programme dubbed Standards Market Access Programme, which has been sharpening their skills on requirements for the export market.

As a volunteer and team leader at AAK, Maingi has been spearheading the ‘Eat More Fish’ campaigns mainly in Central Kenya, which aims at sensitising people of all cultures to embrace fish as rich, valid food.

Alex Akidiva, a research assistant at Egerton University, says farmers who want their fish to attain more weight must learn to feed them well and keep them in a good environment.

“Protein is the most key in making fish attain the desired weight. Sources of protein include sunflower, soya, cotton seed cake and fish meal.”

He recommends 40 per cent protein content in catfish feeds and between 28-35 per cent for tilapia meals.

“The catfish have a higher protein requirement as they grow faster than tilapia and they are carnivorous.”

He adds that farmers can synchronise their ponds to ensure consistent production and, therefore, regular income.

“They should harvest fish that has matured and leave the rest to avoid unnecessary competition for food as fish do not necessarily grow at the same rate,” he says.and adds, “Farmers should ensure there have an activity in the ponds, from the fingerlings level to harvesting, at least monthly for higher income.”

http://www.nation.co.ke/business/seedsofgold/My-secret-of-harvesting-giant-catfish/-/2301238/2876460/-/hjlui5z/-/index.html

Even if he 'survives' does the moral burden of accountability which he is fighting hard through the courts to evade, wash off? We all must ultimately give that account. If he is innocent, he should boldly step forward and defend himself and not hide behind injunctions.

'It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels'-Saint Augustine

TonyeBarcanista:
APC will count this visit as part of Buhari's developmental stride. Some will even say Aisha did what "PEJ" didn't do.

All Prominent Criminals

What were Nigerians enjoying for the past 16 years that we are no longer enjoying since Buhari assumed office?

Adorable.

KingTom:
Your head Dey there jare, Fr., teachers, senior students and of course the auxiliary seminarians. I chop cane tire

But una dey dey stubborn no be small! Recall a Priest friend, he was a crazy fellow back in his junioratte days!

KingTom:
The worst punishment I ever got?
October, 1996

I was in Jss3, for my mind Na oshey junior finalist. Popping my collar and sagging my extremely long shorts. I was a rebel believe or not. The whole school knew about Aworinde the great cane Chester. The artful dodger, the baddest guy, I took pride in my tardiness and legendary loitering, since I knew ""E pass cane?"mtcheew,. Then my bubble burst, my case got to Fr. Christopher
. The man thought of the best punishment for me. One Monday morning, I bounced to the assembly hall at 8:00 (assembly time was 7:45am) I got there, received my customary 12 strokes and was on my way in when Fr. Stopped me, young man come with me after the assembly, I turned white, afterwards he took me accompanied by some other students to an old abandoned toilet, he kicked the door open and asked me to get a bucket, some elephant (detergent) and wash it spotless. Emi? I got in, there were 6 toilets. I opened the first stall and was greeted with a putrid pungent stench, maggots and rats competed against themselves. I studied the lifecycle of the housefly I scrubbed and scrubbed shedding tears in the process, the worst was yet to come, in the third stall, I found splashed on the wall some faeces arranged to form AUSTINO 4 REAL WAZ HERE I cursed Austino wherever he might have been, I cursed his family! Chai I was dying. Needless to say I finished the job and was totally reformed. I started coming to assembly by 7:00am I was/am scared for life by austino's art.

So you attended a junioratte!

Memories flooding back.......

I wish we can have diary farms in the South, so one can access fresh milk!

aumoria:
30 six months old birds for 2,000 naira? Or you meant to say 2,000 naira each?
Thanks for this insightful piece.

N2,000 each.

StOla:
Very democratic in corruption.

The umbrella that protects all.

We fly to your protection oh umbrella, despise not our theft and our greed.

Saraki has truly learnt his lesson that APC, unlike PDP, is not the refuge for his type of person.
Femi Fani Kayode realised early and ran back to PDP where he got refuge and his court case disappeared in typical PDP efficiency when it is not a public infrastructure or utility that will benefit the masses.

Saraki will end up returning all his family, including his father, have ever stolen.

Haba bros! A Marian prayer with PDP?

Just opposite my Lagos Parish (St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland)

priscaoge:
Read my post again, I didn't say she's not 17

I know you didn't allude that though she looks more mature than her age.

priscaoge:
Pretty girl......But seriously she look way older than 17. Happy birthday to her!!!!

If her papa talk say she be 17, then she be 17!

ls there any farm in Nigeria into diary goats, would love to access their milk.

l am not a poultry fan but thought to share this story.


In the small compound in Mwingi, Kitui County, tens of birds roam freely. Some lie on the ground while others rummage for worms from the soil.

Christine Kilonzi, the owner of the birds, is seated on a wooden bench, and before her is a crate of eggs.The poultry farmer picks two eggs at a time, keenly examining them before marking on each F and M with a marker. She then puts them in a separate tray and picks another set.

The farmer, who lives in Ithumbi village, boasts of a unique skill that enables her to tell whether an egg would hatch a male or female chick by simply looking at its shape.

“The M mark means an egg will hatch into a male chick while F will hatch into a female one,” explains Christine, who rears about 100 birds under the free-range system.

By making the marks on the eggs, she is able to estimate the number of hens and cockerels she would have in her brood.

According to her, eggs that have a pointed end hatch into female chicks and those with rounded ones produce male chicks.

The rare skill has earned Kilonzi accolades and clients, with the concept being researched on by Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation.

“Many times clients make very specific requests. One would, for instance, ask for hens only, thus, this skill comes in handy,” she explains, adding that poultry is the most vibrant venture in the area as crop farming does not perform well due to shortage of rain.

SHARP-POINTED EGGS

With the help of Prolinova, a non-profit organisation that deals with smallholder farmers, Kilonzi has received support to popularise her skill that won her an award in the East African Farmers Innovation Fair in 2013, which attracted contestants from five countries.

“Last year, the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro) invited me to select eggs so that they can hatch them and they also researched on the formula,” Kilonzi points out, noting she selected hundreds of eggs and the method has never failed her.

She recounts that she stumbled on the idea sometime in 2009 when a client called to buy 15 female chicks.

“I did not have an idea of how to meet her demand but as I was selecting the eggs for brooding, I realised some had round tips while others pointed ones,” the farmer narrates. “I marked the eggs and monitored them during the entire hatching process. It is then that I realised the sharp pointed ones were hatching female chicks,” adds Christine, who sells about 30 six-month-old birds at Sh1,000 (N2,000) to a guest house and traders in Mwingi town every month.

She later joined hands with other farmers from Mwingi and formed Mwingi Joint Innovators Group to promote different ideas the farmers had.

She has trained members of the group on the egg selection technique.

Eunice Karanja, the country coordinator of Prolinova-Kenya, says many farmers have ideas picked from traditional practices that can be strengthened and help to better the poultry industry.

“The egg selection technique is one of them. We advise smallholder farmers to form groups so that they are able to access funds to promote their ideas,” Eunice says.

Dr Geoffrey Kamau, a poultry expert from Kalro Naivasha, says currently, there is no machine designed for egg selection in the world.

He notes that while Christine’s method is not scientifically proven, it has worked for some farmers.

Other methods mainly used by hatcheries but after the eggs have hatched, according to Dr Kamau, is for instance, looking at the formation of the birds’ wings.

“The wing feather method is used for chicks that are one to three days old. The wings are spread out by holding the chick upside down on the palm and using the thumb and the middle finger to spread them. The females have longer wing feathers than the males,” he explains, and adds that they are closely working with Kilonzi to perfect her idea and see whether a machine can be developed based on the concept.

The expert, however, notes that the wing method is useful within three days of a chick’s life, beyond which other methods such as comb shape and size and also shape of the vent can be applied.

“There are many methods used to tell the sex of chicks after hatching but no single one is 100 per cent fool-proof,” Dr Kamau says.

That is the law, due process must be followed. If the law finds him to have stolen from his people, he owes them a refund and some time behind bars but if he can in good conscience defend that he didn't misappropriate while in office and not mere latching on the loopholes in the law then his Creator will vindicate him.

l can not vouch for any Politician.

talentedjoe:
I'm I the only one getting fed up with these procedures?

That is the law for you.

They are also hanging on threads!

Onions, curry, thyme in bitterleaf soup?

It is so sad!

Even with their 'sharp practices'?

No ransom...hmm, well who am l to think otherwise!

I shudder at the temerity at which public funds are being plundered!

Tripped into blessings!

OP, provide a researched statistics. It may be that muslim ladies are no longer comfortable with polygamy which is more of a certainty with muslim men.

How do one swallow money? Sad they are criminally creative.