Guidelines from Government
The Agropole Programme has been closely collaborating with MINEPIA as concerns the marketing of fish.
Agropoles Programme: What are fsh production needs in Cameroon?
Divine Ngalla Tombu: The demand for fsh in Cameroon goes around 400 000 tonnes. The local capture fshing and aquaculture provide around 200 000 tonnes, making a defcit of 200 000 tonnes that have to be imported. That causes Cameroon‘s government to suffer a loss of some CFA francs billion per year. Wild capture fsheries, both marine with the sea, and inland with rivers, lakes and dams, have reached their limits of production. We can no longer catch fsh there more than we are doing now. Therefore, aquaculture or fsh farming is the way forward to cover up this gap between demand and supply.
Agropoles Programme : Many fsh farmers took upon themselves to embark on that trade. Why are some of them disappointed?
Divine Ngalla Tombu: The two major problems that are linked to fsh farming are the scarcity of fingerlings and feed. Fingerlings are small fshes. They are grown to become fsh. The good quality of fingerlings is essential; that is improved genetic material. It happens to be crucial in the growth of the fsh. So the government, especially the Ministry of Livestock, Fisheries and Animal Industries, MINEPIA, conscious of this fact, has invested a lot of money in the fsh stations.
MINEPIA has 9 fish stations like the one out there on the Yaoundé I campus. The station has to produce fingerlings and train farmers in fingerlings production. In 2016, more than 3 millions fingerlings were produced and distributed to farmers. There is a group of private fsh farmers. It is up to business people to produce fingerlings on a large or industrial scale. They have been producing more than 10 million of fingerlings.
Progressively, in a year or so, we will no longer be talking of fingerlings. We shall rather stress on quality fingerlings.
The Price of Feed has Dropped from 2,500 per kg in 2014 to 1,600 in 2016
Agropole Programme: Are you also that optimistic about the issue of fish feed?
Divine Ngalla Tombu: We are moving from subsistence aquaculture or fish farming to commercial fish farming. In other words, people put the fish in the pool and forget it. after some time, they would just come and catch it after one or two years. This option is now out-dated. The new stage is that you put fish in the pool, you feed it, and you catch after 4 of 6 months. So we are going from extensive to intensive fish farming. Now, we need more infrastructure and feed. By 2014 and below, imported feed was very scarce. So, a bag could cost CFA francs 45,000 to 50,000; that was making 2,500 per kilogramme. Other factors of production had to be added, meaning the kilogramme of fish ended up costing CFA francs 5000 and even more. 2015 was declared the year for aquaculture in MINEPIA. Time had come to resolve the constraints concerning feed and fingerlings. Business people and those involved in the importation of feed were sensitized.
Agropole Programme: What has been the outcome of that awareness campaign?
Divine Ngalla Tombu: More than 5 private companies are now importing feed directly from Europe. There is SOCAF, MAN PLANET, ROYAL TRAIDING, BELGOCAM, and S.P.C. This competition has made the price to drop significantly from CFA francs 2,500 in 2014 to 1,600 per kilogramme in 2016.
Research on a Formula for Fish Feed is Underway
Agropole Programme : Why don’t you promote some home-grown feed firms?
Divine Ngalla Tombu: MINEPIA has also sensitized and built the capacities of local producers. There are 25 and more who are producing local feed now in Cameroon. But the difference is that the imported feed has floating features. This is very good. The local feed can be equally rich; it lacks those floating characteristics. So, research is still going on and local farmers and the private sector are still investing to produce floating feed.
Agropole Programme : How is the international community assisting Cameroon?
Divine Ngalla Tombu: One project with the International Fund for Agriculture and Development, IFAD, and another with Food and Agriculture Organization, FAO, are underway. They are aiming at solving these major constraints: fingerlings and feed. Studies are already being conducted on the botanical contents of the raw materials that we have. We need to know the right formula. Animal feed has a different formula.
Components are known, that is corn, soya beans, and others. What are quantities and proportions to mix and get very good quality feed? Only research can tell. By the end of this year, the report will be published and a formula shall be available. Besides, the FAO too is buying 4 Extruder machines that will produce floating feed. A local feed production industry is being developed. Local business people are also encouraged to import feed in this competitive market.
The aim is to avoid the rupture of stock. We want feed to be available at all times. Farmers should be able to have feed when they want. Now, they should have the choice between local and imported feed. With the market that has developed and people who are aware that fresh water fish or fish from aquaculture is available, abundant and tastes good, investors are selling fast. In 2015, by the end of the year, we had a lot of difficulties selling fish. If you had 1, 2 or 3 tonnes of fish, you would hardly sell it. But now, if you have 10 tonnes, you will just sell the same day. It is thanks to the close collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, and the Agropole Programme from MINEPAT. Markets have actually multiplied. You saw what we did at the MINCOMMERCE during the festive period. Fresh water fish was sold in markets in Mfoundi, Acacia and Melen. There are people and fish stores selling fresh water fish continuously. So people don’t eat it now just for festive periods.
