Zimbabwe Leverages Tilapia Farming for Economic Growth and Food Security
Zimbabwe is harnessing the potential of tilapia farming to drive economic growth and enhance food security in the country. Small-scale farmers, as well as schools and medium enterprises, are increasingly engaging in tilapia farming to improve their income and address nutritional needs.
Tilapia, a fish species known for its high meat content, rapid growth, and palatability, has become the third most important type of fish in global aquaculture. With its omnivorous diet, ability to tolerate high stocking density, and fast growth rate, tilapia farming is profitable and comparatively easy.
Ms Chipo Rusike, a farmer in Chikwaka, Goromonzi district, Mashonaland East province, has constructed 10 fishponds on her two-hectare plot and stocked them with Nile tilapia. She manages to harvest between 4.5 to 8 tonnes of tilapia every nine months. Other small-scale producers are also increasingly venturing into tilapia farming, contributing to the rising output in the country.
Zimbabwe is home to a rich fisheries ecosystem with a diverse range of 144 fish species, including 114 endemic and 30 exotic species. In addition, the country boasts over 12,000 dams, providing ample opportunities for fish farming. Tilapia, with its profitability and nutritional benefits, has emerged as a crucial contributor to household food security in certain areas of Zimbabwe.
To further develop the tilapia value chain, Lake Harvest, a local company based in Kariba, has integrated small-scale producers and processors. Lake Kariba is responsible for 90 percent of Zimbabwe’s capture fishery production, with tilapia accounting for a significant portion of the output.
Lake Harvest processes the fish from Lake Kariba and distributes them locally, regionally, and internationally, including markets in Botswana, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mozambique, and South Africa. The company’s fish processing factory in Kariba offers local participation in the value chain, supporting the livelihoods of smallholder farmers who supply feed inputs such as maize and soya beans. Moreover, the sale of byproducts like fish heads and belly flaps has created thriving business opportunities in the small-scale informal sector.
According to the ZBE (Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy) report, the fisheries sector has employed 3,500 people as of 2021 and generated US$11.7 million in export revenues in 2019. This highlights the significant economic potential of Zimbabwe’s biodiversity.
To fully leverage the economic benefits of the country’s rich biodiversity, the Zimbabwean government has identified four key sectors for the biodiversity economy: wildlife, fisheries, forestry, and bioprospecting. By recognizing and mainstreaming the value of biodiversity into development planning and decision-making processes, Zimbabwe aims to unlock the enormous potential value offered by nature.
The Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Wildlife, in partnership with the African Wildlife Foundation, produced the Zimbabwe Biodiversity Economy report to provide a framework for incorporating the value and contribution of nature into national accounts and development planning. The report also identifies viable business and investment opportunities.
By focusing on securing wildlife resources, financing protection and management efforts, enhancing incomes from wildlife-based value chains, and creating supportive policies, Zimbabwe aims to support the biodiversity economy. The wildlife sector already contributes significantly to the country’s economy, particularly through nature-based tourism and sport hunting.
In line with efforts to strengthen the biodiversity economy, the Presidential Community Fisheries Programme seeks to stock thousands of dams across Zimbabwe with approximately 60 million fingerlings of various fish breeds. With a majority of the country’s water bodies being small to medium-sized, there are ample opportunities for sustainable fisheries development.
Despite the abundance of fisheries resources, the economic contribution of the sub-sector is modest, with capture fisheries accounting for only 1.4 percent of the GDP, as indicated by the ZBE report. However, with concerted efforts and a focus on sustainable practices, Zimbabwe can further unlock the economic potential of its fisheries sector.
Tilapia farming, with its profitability, accessibility, and ability to enhance food security, is playing a significant role in Zimbabwe’s economic growth. With ongoing initiatives to develop the tilapia value chain and harness the country’s rich biodiversity, Zimbabwe is poised to reap the benefits of sustainable fisheries and a thriving biodiversity economy.
