THE first six Aqua shops in Western Kenya opened their doors to new fish farmers in Western Kenya last week.
The shops are located in Funyula, Nambomboto, and Bukiri shopping centres within Samia; and Ahero, Katito and Oboch in Nyakach Districts respectively.
These franchised outlets will deliver a wide range of affordable, quality-assured aquaculture products and services including advice and inputs. The Minister of Fisheries Development Hon. Amason Kingi officially launched the shops on Friday at Nyabondo, Oboch shopping centre.
In attendance was also the 6 aquashop operators, a range of commercial aquaculture input and service providers, and over 30 fish farmers from the two pilot districts, as well as political leaders, district administrators, Ministry of Fisheries officials and potential new entrants into aquaculture.
FARM Africa together with partners, Natural Resources International; Institute of Aquaculture University of Stirling UK, and Imani Development have been working together on this 15 month pilot project beginning in April 2010, with support from the Research Into Use programme of the UK Department for International Development.
The AQUA SHOP Model has already been trialled and contributed significantly to rural aquaculture development in South Asia in India and Vietnam. FARM Africa is using this model to complement the Fish Farming Enterprise & Productivity Programme (FFE&PP) of the Ministry of Fisheries. The Project is using effective ways to bring in and encourage the private sector to drive the growth of the aquaculture sector and create Private-Public Partnerships in service provision. For further details please contact Farm Africa Project Co-ordinator Susan Otieno
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