Chi Farms partner USAID to empower smallholder farmers in fish farming

Chi Farms Ltd and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) have partnered to contribute to food security and smallholder farmer empowerment in Nigeria. By growing the Nigerian aquaculture industry, the project will make a significant difference to food security in Nigeria.

As part of the US government’s Feed the Future initiative, Chi Farms will engage smallholder farmers to become successful catfish farmers. Chi Farms will assure supply of quality feed and quality catfish juveniles to the farmers by enhancing its feed milling and hatching capacities.

“This development will add positively to the overall food security in Nigeria. We are delighted that USAID has decided to support the proposed initiative of Chi Farms. At the same time, it is at the core of what we do at Chi Farms: We are convinced that working with out-growers is a step in the right direction towards sustainable economic development,” said Martin Middernacht, executive director, Chi Farms Ltd.

Roland Oroh, his counterpart from USAID, said: “We are very happy to work towards food security in Nigeria with our trusted partner Chi Farms.” USAID previously partnered with Chi Pharma, a sister company to Chi Farms, to roll out insecticide-treated nets in Nigeria.

Under the partnership, not only fish farmers but also over 6,000 soybean and maize farmers will be trained to meet the quality standards of Chi Farms. They will be closely integrated in the supply chain of the fish feed mill.

The project will contribute to food security in Nigeria by adding over 4,000 metric tonnes of catfish to local markets in Nigeria every year. The positive impact on smallholder farmers across the maize, soybean and aquaculture sectors will create a consequent impact across all the geopolitical zones in Nigeria.

 

Chinyere Okeke