Flood: Fish Farmer Counts Losses

As people, especially farmers continue counting their losses after the ravaging flood, a fish farmer, Chief Clement Ishiaki has said that he lost more than N5 million to the flood.

Chief Ishiaki who stated this while speaking to The Tide in his country home Ula-Upata in East local government area of Rivers State said he started the fisheries business with the sum of N1.6 million which he borrowed from a commercial bank among other sources.

He said it cost him a fortune as an individual to construct the layout for his farm site which included digging of ponds among other necessities.

He said apart from other crops which he lost to the floods, fish alone which was his major crop accounted for more than N1 million.

He further hinted that one of the fish ponds measuring about 13 metres by 10 metres which contained a large quantity of fish was his greatest loss.

On how he plans to come back to business, Chief Ishiaki said the challenge he has now was on how to approach Corporate organizations and public spirited individuals including the Rivers State government to come to his aid.

Chief Ishiaki said he was hoping that his Local Government Area would be of a particular help as the economic contribution of his business to the area cannot be overlooked.

While appreciating the efforts of the Rivers State government on the welfare if showed to the flood victims across the State, Chief Ishiaki expressed the view that farmers, especially in the fisheries sector have not been given the attention it deserves.