The Lake Basin Development Authority (LBDA) has unveiled a state-of-the-art fish hatchery with the capacity to produce 45 million metric tonnes of fingerlings annually, a significant milestone aimed at addressing the country's fish production gap.
The facility, located at the Kibos Integrated Technology Transfer Centre (ITTC) in Kisumu County, is equipped with the advanced Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS), to ensure year-round production of high-quality fingerlings.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the facility, LBDA Managing Director (MD) Wycliffe Ochiaga said the hatchery will produce 4 million fingerlings every month to be sold to farmers at a subsidized price of Sh. 5, down from the market price of Ksh. 15.
This, he said, was deliberate to cushion farmers from the high costs of fingerlings and feeds so as to spark growth of the sector and help bridge the gap in production. "The availability of affordable, high-quality fingerlings will be a game-changer for fish farmers across the country.
