Some residents of Dadin Kowa community in Yamaltu-Deba Local Government Area of Gombe State are making profits in millions through fish farming, a survey by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reveals.
In separate interviews with NAN in Dadin Kowa community on Tuesday, the farmers said availability of water supply all-year round had made the community a hub for fish farming.
Sani Hashimu, a 43-year-old fish farmer, said he became a millionaire through fish farming since he ventured into the agribusiness some five years ago.
Hashimu said he began the vocation with just a fish pond but gradually expanded to two, with one pond having 3,000 fish capacity, while the other houses about 2,000 fishes.
He said he harvested fish from his ponds twice a year and, other things being equal, he earned N2 million profit from both ponds.
“I have never made money like I make from fish farming; in fact, I became a millionaire through fish farming.
fish farmers say availability of water supply all-year round has made the community a hub for fish farming
“This business of keeping fishes and selling them when they are mature is really good and has better returns on investment than other aspects of farming,” he said.
Ezra Amos, a 73-year-old retiree from Dadin Kowa community, said he raked in millions of naira from fish farming from the comfort of his house where the fish farm is situated.
Amos, who had been in the agribusiness for 12 years now, said fish farming is helping him live a good life after retirement, adding that he makes good profit from the business yearly.
He said that he realised over N3 million from fish farming in 2020, but noted that the business is now more expensive to run because of high cost of feed.
He said his investment in agriculture was paying him more than when he was in service, adding that he has no regrets whatsoever now that he is a fish farmer.
Amos said that there were areas within fish farming that a farmer could invest and make his or her profit. According to him, a farmer can engage in hatching and selling fingerlings which, according to him, is more lucrative than selling mature fishes, considering the high cost of feed.
He said with the kind of money he is making from fish farming, he would not take up any job by the government, even if such a job pays over N100,000 monthly. “I won’t accept it because there is more money here,’’ he said.
my investment in agribusiness is paying me more than when I was in service. I have no regrets whatsoever now that I’m a fish farmer
Also, Adamu Mahmuda, a staff of Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) in Gombe State told NAN that he earned over N1 million from fish farming in 2023.
Mahmuda, who said civil servants could earn additional money through agriculture, said he established his fish farm two years ago with N300,000. He said he had expanded the business and has started making profits in millions annually.
He described fish farming as more profitable than salary-paying jobs if one invests in the agribusiness.
“This fish farming is more than any salary if you invest well and acquire the right knowledge. You will never regret venturing into the business.
“My annual profit for now is more than N1 million and I am just two years old in the business and just operating on a small scale, being a civil servant.”
before now, many of us depended on fish from the river, but with time and tech advancement, many of us now have fish ponds in our compounds
Daniel Maji, another civil servant with the Federal College of Horticulture, Dadin Kowa, who has been in the community since 1982 where he got his primary education, said the community had become a fishing hub.
He said before now, many of the farmers depended on local fishing from the river, but with time and advancement in technology, many of them have turned to digging fish ponds, even in their compounds.
Maji, who said within the last five years, there had been increasing number of residents going into fish farming, urged the government to invest more in the sector to empower youths in the state.
NAN reports that Dadin Kowa community is about 42 kilometres from Gombe metropolis and the community houses the Dadin Kowa Multipurpose Dam, which generates 40 megawatts of electricity.
The water treatment plant, which supplies drinkable water to residents of Gombe metropolis and environs with nearly 40 million litres daily, is located in Dadin Kowa.(NAN)
