FCC Oji River, leads Thai University delegation to Anambra, over plans to establish Fish Brood Stock Bank in S'east

 

The Thai University team, the FCC team and the FABDA MD brainstorming 

Kenechukwu Ofomah 

Awka

A delegation from a renowned Agricultural University, the Kasetsart University, Thailand over the weekend, visited the Fisheries and Aquaculture Business Development Agency, FABDA Anambra State and a private fish farm, House of Tully, as part of collaborative efforts with the Federal Co-operative College Oji River to develop the Catfish business in Nigeria and the Southeast.

The visit, was a fallout from a two-day National Fish Breeding Workshop held at the Federal Co-operative College, FCC, Oji River, Enugu State, where the FABDA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Emeka Iloghalu presented a keynote address on the exploits already being made in streamlining the businesses along the fisheries and aquaculture value chain in Nigeria.

This, was in keeping with the necessity to establish a Brood Stock Bank to support Southeast and especially, Anambra’s target for Table Fish Production volumes as a pilot.

During the field visit, the Thai University delegation, led by the Assistant to the President for Research and Internationalization, Kasetsart University, Prof. Kornsorn Srikulnath and the FCC team, led by the Provost, Dr. Ejikeme Obidiegwu, toured the House Tully Farms, garnering hands-on experience on Catfish production and business activities, and the value chain brood stock farming, fingerlings production, table fish production, fish processing among others.

The field visit

According to the leader of the Thailand team, Prof Srikulnath, his team were in Anambra to study the Catfish supply chain, considering Nigeria’s position as a major stakeholder in Catfish production globally.

He also said the Kasetsart University, Thailand would like to explore new prospects and partnerships with the private sector, the government and the big market in Africa.

“Considering what we have seen on ground, the state has all the facilities on the supply chains including the processing aspects.

“There is, however, a need to collaborate to see how the process can be made better,” he noted.

The FCC Provost, Dr Obidiegwu in his remarks, explained that the visit was about ensuring food security, and a sustainable agricultural system. 

He said, “We felt that as part of our discussion with our foreign partners, to visit a major integrated urban farm in Awka, alongside our foreign partners is necessary. 

“We had hands-on experience of operations at the Fish business facility and we have learned a lot. They too, have seen for themselves. 

“The FABDA, the College and the individual businesses are all stakeholders, and we are working together. The FABDA is a strategic agency that has a lot of value to place on the entire fish value chain, and it is close to us at Oji River.  

“So, our visit is part of our collaborations with strategic partners and I am hopeful that our collaboration will yield a lot of projects.”

On his part, the FABDA MD/CEO, Mr. Iloghalu said the field visit targets to enrich the partnership between the FABDA, the FCC and the Thai partners, in terms of stronger development in the brood-stock and breeding activities. 

Acknowledging that Thailand has strength in breeding, the genetics, among other aspects, Iloghalu said part of the things his team has suggested is that the collaboration should translate to the establishment of a brood-stock bank around here.

Re-emphasizing the vision of the FABDA and the target to drive Anambra’s Fish industry to do 51 million kg of table-fish annually, Iloghalu noted that for such volume and the vision to be accomplished, the state requires a stable supply of brood stock and seed fish.

“The table fish does not happen on its own, it requires seed fish. Seed fish emanates from brood stock. So, this collaboration is of great interest to us because once we are able to have a stable brood stock bank, it means that the supply of seed fish will be guaranteed. And that means that we will be achieving our target faster than we expected and that we are making progress in anchoring the value chain that is our mission. So, this collaboration is crucial to our achieving our short term target for self-sufficiency in table fish production in Anambra State and going further for industries and exports _(mid term target),_ ” he said.

The FABDA boss said his agency's mandate is the repositioning of the fisheries and aquaculture sector in Anambra for effective and efficient governance, regulation, productivity and growth, as well as guiding the operators in the value chain, to operate in more organised and cooperate manners, with clear definition of their business activities.

This, he noted, will help the agency, have a comprehensive data, with which it will work out necessary interventions as the case may be. 

His words, “If each of the Fish businesses is properly profiled, we would be able to identify their challenges and solve the problem of the amorphous nature of fish businesses which we met on ground. 

“The farm we visited has been able to streamline its activities and the units we have here represent distinct business opportunities that investors can latch onto and grow. 

“So, we are working to get operators to be specialized and select a segment in the value chain, to enable us play the linkage role and get their businesses where they ought to be.”