How To Start A Fish Hatchery Business In Nigeria

How To Start A Fish Hatchery Business In Nigeria

The fish hatchery business is one of the most lucrative businesses in Nigeria, especially in the riverine areas. It can be done on a small or large scale.

A fish hatchery involves the artificial hatchery of fish eggs. Fish is one of the most consumed protein-rich meals in Nigeria, and so if you are considering starting up a fish hatchery business in Nigeria, then you are actually going for the right business.

However, there are some basic things one needs to know about this business. Going into fish farming without adequate knowledge about it can actually be frustrating for someone.

HOW TO START A FISH HATCHERY BUSINESS

There are some things to consider before starting a fish hatchery business.

Below is a complete guide that will help you succeed if you are considering starting a fish hatchery business

Acquire expertise through training

Before you think of starting up your own fish hatchery business, you must ensure that you are well-trained in it.

A fish hatchery/farming business is a delicate endeavor that requires you to be well-versed in the knowledge and training. You should consider volunteering to work for someone involved in fish hatchery/farming, perhaps for a few weeks, to equip yourself with more knowledge.

Get the capital

Fish hatchery businesses, like other businesses, require capital to start. After getting the necessary training, ensure your capital is available for the business. You will need the capital to get your equipment ready and to register the business.

Register your business

You can consider registering your business brand if you intend to make it a large-scale business. Registering your business will open it to different opportunities such as grants, loans, and support for start-up businesses, among others.

Choose a site

The next step to take when starting up a fish hatchery business after all the listed, is to get a site for your business. This is as necessary as all the others listed before.

Choosing the wrong site can mar your fish farm. It is advisable to have your site near a water source such as rivers, lakes, a well, or a borehole. Also, the site should be close to a fish farm estate for easy marketing

Purchase necessary equipment

Purchase the necessary equipment for the fish hatchery business.

Some of the equipment needed for a fish hatchery business includes: ponds, water channels, fingerling feeds, Dip nets, water pumps, automatic feeders, and several others.

This equipment can be purchased in some online markets such as komback and Jumia and be delivered within a few days.

Get your broodstock and start production

Broodstock can be obtained from rivers, ponds, or any water bodies. To start the production of fingerlings after getting your brood stock, requires a few steps

Get your male and female broodstock.

2. Inject the female broodstock with spawning hormones above the lateral line. Some of the hormones include ovaprim, ovatide, among several others, then leave the female broodstock for 8-10 hours in water.

Remove the Milt from the male broodstock
Remove the eggs from the female broodstock
The eggs should be collected in a clean, dry bowl by gently pressing its abdomen.

Mix the Milt with the eggs.

Fertilize the egg by mixing the Milt and the egg evenly. Pour the mix on the spray table in the incubating unit, which has a steady flow of water.

Manage the hatchlings by feeding them between 2-3 weeks with fry feed and then with feed that is protein-rich until they reach the fingerlings stage.

Market the fingerlings

This is a very crucial part of this business. The fingerlings should be sold to farmers between 6-8 weeks. Failure to sell the fingerlings within that time range might lead you to incur an extra cost of having to raise and manage them by yourself.

Also, you will need a good connection with fish farmers for your fish hatchery business. This is because fingerlings are rarely sold in the market. You will need to link up with fish farmers who need the fingerlings. It is best to have contacted buyers before it reaches the fingerling stage.

By kingkentus