Fish farmers in Navrongo laud aquaponics project, demand wider coverage
Beneficiaries of the initiative by Link-Ghana and its collaborators shared testimonies of its impact on their livelihoods
Participants at a stakeholder review meeting on Aquaponics Development in the Upper East Region have appealed to Link-Ghana and its collaborators to extend their fish farming initiative to more communities in the Kassena-Nankana areas and beyond.
The review meeting, held on Thursday, August 28, at the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly, was organised by Link-Ghana in collaboration with the Fisheries Commission of the Upper East Region, with support from the UNDP-Adaptation Fund Climate Innovations Accelerator (AFCIA).
Beneficiaries of the initiative shared testimonies of its impact on their livelihoods. A female participant from Bonia said the project had transformed her group financially after years of struggling.
“The initiative has been very helpful to us as a group in Bonia. At first, we faced challenges, but we persisted. Now we are reaping the financial benefits of the project, something we never enjoyed in our 25 years of existence. I have even procured a tank personally to start my own fish farm,” she said.
Another participant from Bawiu, moved by the success stories, appealed for the project to be extended to her community.
Project Coordinator for Link-Ghana, Daniel Kansake, said the initiative has empowered beneficiary communities to produce fish and vegetables for both nutritional and economic gains.
“This review meeting is all about developing aquaponics in the Upper East Region. UNDP supported Link-Ghana to help communities produce fish and vegetables for their own economic benefits.” He said.
He revealed that in the past two years, the project has supported about 324 direct beneficiaries and 1,980 indirect beneficiaries in communities such as Kajelo, Bonia, and Kologo in the Kassena-Nankana areas, as well as in the Bulsa zone. Women make up 60 percent of the beneficiaries.
While participants praised the initiative’s impact, challenges including access to fish feed, fingerlings, marketing opportunities, and security concerns were raised. Stakeholders made suggestions on how these issues could be addressed to improve the project.
The Kassena-Nankana Municipal Chief Executive, Hon. Faustina Akeyom Abulu, commended Link-Ghana for contributing to poverty alleviation and climate change mitigation in the municipality through aquaponics.
The meeting, held on the theme “Reviewing the Prospects of Aquaponics Development in the Kassena-Nankana and Bulsa Zones of the Upper East Region”, brought together fish farmers, aquaculture experts, financial institutions, officials from the Fisheries Commission, the Municipal Assembly, and community groups engaged in fish farming.
Mike 105.3FM| Navrongo | David Adapuna
