Uasin Gishu, varsity unveil Sh10m fish hatchery

Fish farmers in Uasin Gishu County have received a major boost after the devolved unit completed construction of Sh10 million hatchery in partnership with University of Eldoret.

Chief Officer for Fisheries Victoria Tarus said hatching had already started.

She said fingerlings would be harvested every one to two weeks to be offered to farmers at affordable charges.

“The construction of Sh10 million hatchery cum research institution is complete. It is a great milestone in fish framing in the region because now we will be able to distribute more than 100,000 fingerlings a week. The advantage of this hatchery is that framers will be given certified high quality fingerlings,” Dr Tarus said.

The project is set to enhance output in the region where farmers taking up the enterprise are expected to increase by over four percent.

Dr Tarus revealed that the decision to have the hatchery at the university was influenced by the availability of expert manpower and new technologies. Apart from serving farmers, the institution will use the project for teaching, research and extension services.

“We decided to have this hatchery at the university in 2015 when its construction begun because of required skills.

Farmers will benefit through income generation and also job creation,” she said.