Water Research Institute supports tilapia production in Yendi

The Water Research Institute (WRI) has trained 30 people in fish farming to help manage the two dugouts stocked with 3000 fingerlings  in Mbatinga and Kpabia in the Yendi Municipality.

The special breed of tilapia called oreochromis niloticus had been introduced to increase household incomes in six communities under a project dubbed “Food4Life” with GH¢6,630 being invested in the project with support from Community Life Improvement Programme.

Dr Kwadjo Kwarfo-Apegyah, Director of the WRI, said this when speaking at Yendi during the first harvesting exercise where the proceeds were sold to market queens.

He said the main objective of the fish project was to increase fish availability while enhancing water conservation, employment and livelihood opportunities of the communities stressing that everything was given freely to the beneficiary communities.

Dr Kwarfo-Apegyah said malnutrition was a major challenge affecting the wellbeing of many children in Northern Ghana and with the availability of the fish in the communities which would enrich their diets, the disease could be greatly reduced.

Mr Etornyo Agbeko, the Project Coordinator, said cassia and moringa plants would also be planted together with vertiver grass on the banks of the dugouts to prevent flash flood and erosion.

Mr Fuseini Sayibu, the Assembly Member for the area, said the project is important as it could help prevent the youth from migrating to the south to work as head porters.

He said monies realized from the sale of the fish would be used to expand the water facilities that were provided for the community by the NGO.

Source: GNA