CATFISH FARMING

CATFISH FARMING:

There are two important types of catfish farming which includes, Nursery Fish farming and the Grow Out Fish Farming. which could either be operated separately or as an integrated process.

 The grow out fish farming is dependent of the nursery fish farming because you can't grow fish without the nursery stage. But, they can be operated separately by two different farmers or the same farmer can operate both.

The nursery involves the inducement of the female fish to lay eggs, which are then fertilized artificially by the male sperm, incubated and hatched. Those little fishes between a day and two weeks old are know as fries. These fries are then nurtured from between three and four weeks into fingerlings which is the size suitable for use in the Grow Out farming

Grow out fish farming stage

 Nursery fish farming stage

VIABILITY OF CATFISH FARMING:

Catfish farming is a very lucrative means of generating income through agriculture, as we can see today the demand of catfish in Nigeria today is very high. Catfish is often use as food source in various part of Nigeria. The demand of catfish in hotel. Beer pallor, fast food joint etc is rising every day. As we all know, a single catfish cost between the range 300 to 800 naira, so if can be able to train 2000 catfish to maturity and sell at rate of 300, it will be 300*2000=600000 but at the rate of 800 naira, it will be 800*2000=1.600,000 naira .  the viability of catfish is 70% guarantee .

 Catfish pond

STAGE IN CATFISH FARMING:

There are two stage in catfish farming and they include the primary and secondary stage.

Primary stage ( Nursery fish farming stage);

This is between the nursery and the grow out operation, it involves the nurturing of the fries three to four weeks to grow into post fingerling, mini juvenile and juvenile respetively.

Secondary stage ( Grow out fish farming stage);

This is the period you nurtured the fingerling for four to five months into grow out size suitable for consumption