A catfish farmer, Mr Charles Eyimofe, has called on the Federal Government to develop the nation’s agricultural potentials  in order to boost  fish production for consumption and export.
Eyimofe told newsmen in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun, yesterday that Nigeria has  enough resources to significantly boost its aquaculture industry.
He advised the Federal Government to evolve  a programme to support fish farmers to enhance commercial fish production.
This, he said, would contribute to poverty reduction and boost food security in the country.
Eyimofe said  the government should  outline  strategies to check  losses and come up with innovations to stabilise the production of fish.
He further recommended that an action plan should be worked out in four years to significantly reduce reliance on imported fish.
‘‘Fish is a very important source of protein,  particularly in the rural areas and producing more fish will go a long way in alleviating poverty and malnutrition.
‘‘Job creation is also another important aspect of developing the huge potential in aquaculture.
‘‘By equipping farmers with the right skills and incentives and by helping their businesses to grow, employment opportunities will also open up as fish business is multi-dynamic in nature,’’ he said.
He urged prospective fish farmers to fully exploit capacity building and training opportunities before venturing into commercial fish production so as to minimise losses.
According to Eyimofe,  fish cultivation and production is a very profitable venture with diverse profit-making opportunities if one acquires  the right knowledge.
‘‘With the right vision one can gain a lot but one needs to understand that fish business is not a stand-alone-business, cooperation with other stakeholders is fundamental for success.
‘‘As a farmer, you will naturally interact with dealers, retailers, processing merchants, consumer and even policy makers,’’ he said.
The farmer said fish, being perishable, could be difficult to produce without prior training and urged prospective farmers to endeavour to acquire enough knowledge so as not to lose their investment.
‘‘Fishing is not something one does by trial and error because a lot of money could be wasted,  so one needs to acquire the rudiments of the trade through high-level training programmes,’’ he said.