Rutendo Chirume
The Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association (ZFPA) has pledged to boost the country’s aquaculture sector through collaborative initiatives under the Fish for African, Caribbean and Pacific countries (Fish4ACP) programme — a global value chain development project supported by the Government of Zimbabwe and development partners.
Implemented in 12 African, Caribbean, and Pacific countries, Fish4ACP in Zimbabwe will focus on Masvingo and Manicaland provinces, rolling out across all districts.
The programme aims to promote fish farming, empower rural farmers, and increase Zimbabwe’s contribution to regional fish markets, with a strong emphasis on inclusive and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture value chains.
Speaking during a Fish4ACP synergy strategic planning meeting held on September 10 at the Agriculture and Rural Development Advisory Services (ARDAS) boardroom in Masvingo, ZFPA chairperson Garikai Munatsire highlighted recent milestones.
“We have made significant strides in addressing some of the challenges faced by our farmers, including the establishment of two women-led fingerling distribution hubs in Masvingo and Manicaland.
“Each hub has a maximum capacity of 420 000 fingerlings at a time and a seasonal capacity of 2.5 million fingerlings.
“This initiative responds to key challenges such as access to quality and affordable fingerlings, feed shortages, cold chain and market constraints, as well as knowledge gaps in best management practices,” said Munatsire.
ZFPA currently has 3 240 registered members across all 10 provinces, with membership being subscription-based for both individuals and organisations in the value chain.
National Principal in the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Production within the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Fisheries and Rural Development, Irene Chihanga, said the initiative provides a holistic approach to reviving aquaculture production in Zimbabwe.
“In Masvingo alone, we have at least two fish ponds in each village business unit, amounting to about 2,226 farmers managing 5,100 fish ponds.
“Zimbabwe currently produces around 30 000 metric tonnes of fish annually against a national requirement of 60 000 metric tonnes. This programme will help close the deficit while capacitating our farmers,” said Chihanga.
The Fish4ACP initiative is expected to significantly improve fish production, create rural employment opportunities, and enhance food and nutrition security in Zimbabwe.
