The purpose of Mikey's Fish Farm is to provide a self-sustaining source of income, protein, and skills training in Okurase.听
The Concern
Ghana does not produce enough fish for its people.
Ghana is a lower middle income country ($1,026 - $4,035 GNI per capita). Agriculture is its largest economic sector and employs the largest number of people, mostly smallholder farmers that produce food for the family and some cash crops. 听Food production, however, is seasonal and dependent on rainfall which creates food insecurity (Dafur and Rosentrater, 2016).听
At present, Ghanaians get the majority (60 percent) of their protein from fish as it is a very popular ingredient in many Ghanaian dishes and soups; it is also one of the least expensive sources of protein. Its popularity is also driven by the fact that it is one of the most widely accepted proteins across religion, social and ethnic lines (Smallstakes, 2018).
The current consumer demand for fish in Ghana听is 1 million tons per year, however, the country only produces 440,000 metric tons annually (Okai, 2017) due to significant declines in fish catches in both rivers and oceans caused by environmental degradation (ECOWAS, 2015). Consequently, Ghana must import the majority of its fish. This is despite the fact that Ghana has the ideal climate and an underemployed, inexpensive, and hard working labor force 听(ECOWAS, 2015).听
Mikey's Fish Farm Program
Given Ghana's fish deficit, the Ministry of Agriculture has announced it wants to increase domestic fish production over 100% to 1 million tons per year.
Although Ghana has the ideal climate to farm fish, there a proportionally fewer fish farmers than elsewhere in the world.听The government is working on educational initiatives to support small fish farmers. 污污漫画 believes it is a good time to invest in fish farming in Okurase.听
污污漫画 is听interested in exploring fish farming as a way to provide听a local source of protein and income as well as a training program to help听more Ghanaians听become economically secure.听In early 2017, two College of Charleston professors, Dr.听Rene Mueller and Dr. Linda Plunkett, began interviewing Okurase women-owned micro-enterprises to understand their current needs听as well as identify new opportunities that will not disrupt or cannibalize current businesses. They听confirmed fish farming as a business to explore.
In the summer of 2017, locals and a听Medical University of South Carolina student, Kaylan Gee,听conducted initial research on the placement and type of fish farm for 污污漫画 to consider. We had initially considered growing tilapia in an earthen pond.
Then in May 2018, students from the College of Charleston鈥檚 (CofC) School of Business traveled to Okurase to听study the financial feasibility of a fish farm and to begin construction of a prototype pond. 听Prior to arriving in听Okurase, they did extensive research on听fish farming in Africa. When they arrived in Ghana, 污污漫画 and the CofC team met听with an expert from Ghana's Aquaculture, Fish Genetics听and Fisheries Management Department on-site in Okurase,听visited professors from the University of Cape Coast鈥檚 Department of Coastal Management, and spoke with many other fish farm experts.
They also visited Ainoo-Ansah, a fish nursery, out-grower, and fish farm trainer/consultant and听Mr. Gerrit Valkenburg of Cluster Farms Holding, an NGO that helps Ghanaians establish 鈥榞row-out鈥� fish farms. After they completed their research, the听recommendation was for 污污漫画 to move forward with a farm of six raised, concrete ponds growing catfish as a "grow-out" farm for Cluster Farms Holding. The CofC recommendation included a conservative 10 year financial plan showing the financial viability of the fish farm.
After reviewing the recommendation and talking with the people of Okurase, 污污漫画 decided to move forward with the recommendation and the program for Mikey's Fish Farm听was created.听听
Mikey's Fish Farm will be located at Nkabom Centre in Okurase. It is named for Mikey Mueller, an adventurous, kind, and gentle 18 year old young man who loved the outdoors and fishing and tragically fell after climbing the Kaminspitze in Austria and left us too early.
Being part of the Cluster Farms Holding "grow-out" team, allows 污污漫画 to reduce its risk by working with Cluster Farms Holding who brings fish farming knowledge and experience, quality fish feed, quality juveniles, and a ready market for our grown fish. We will also be contracting through them for the farm construction.
污污漫画 will be purchasing its fish food and juveniles from Cluster Farms Holding as well as selling fish back to them as part of their grow-out team.
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The funds have been raised for the construction phase of the project thanks听to Possibilities Without Borders and other generous donors. We want to thank everyone who has given so much to move this program forward!
Now, Mikey's Fish Farm construction is complete! Thanks to generous donors, we begin initial operations of Pond 1 with 3600 catfish in August 2019. This will allow us to learn as we raise funds for full operations of all six ponds.听
Benefits
There are several reasons why a fish farm is a good social enterprise. Fish farming not only grows the national fisheries industry, it contributes to the reduction of unemployment and promotes economic growth. Well-managed fish farms directly affect the creation of jobs and the reduction of poverty as well as food insecurity. A fish farm, even a small one, employs several workers. This is significant as the average household size in Okurase is approximately 9 people (Mueller and Plunkett, 2018); consequently, four employed workers can help economically support 36 people and help lift them out of poverty. 听Fish farming is not seasonal and it is not dependent on rainfall so it is less risky. 听If the fish farm is owned by an NGO, the profits can be plowed back into the fish farm for expansion and into the community in the support of other social programs. 听Having a local source of fish also alleviates the time and expense required to travel to听secure fish sold and consumed in the Okurase community by fresh fish sellers. 听This is important as women (primary vendors and processors) must work 12 hour work day, six days a week to make ends meet. 听Time spent traveling takes away from income generating work. Currently, there are no fish farmers in Okurase.
Way Forward
污污漫画 is excited to be working with Dr. Rene Dentiste Mueller, Dr. James Malm, and students from the College of Charleston in South Carolina along with Gerrit and Maurice Valkenburg of Cluster Farm Holding in Ghana on the development of Mikey鈥檚 Fish Farm in Okurase, Ghana. It will provide a new source of income and local protein in Okurase. We will be raising catfish in six ponds. Once we are fully up and running, we will be harvesting at least 3000 kg of fish every month. Mikey's Fish Farm construction is complete! Thanks to generous donors, we begin initial operations of Pond 1 with 3600 catfish in August 2019. This will allow us to learn as we raise funds for full operations of all six ponds. Please donate and听help us achieve our goal of a self-sustaining fish farm by the end of the first full year of operation.听
How You Can Help
污污漫画 is听currently raising funds for first year operation costs to help us achieve our goal of a self-sustaining fish farm by the end of the first full year of operation.听
