Knowledge and input costs - aquaculture's bottlenecks

A trainee extension officer inspects a small tilapia
© Gifty Anane-Taabeah

The potential for pond-based aquaculture in Ghana is enormous, and in recent years, many farmers have tried to establish ponds to raise fast growing species such as tilapia. But lack of technical knowledge among farmers and very limited extension capacity are major constraints in aquaculture development. Farmers also struggle to afford commercial fish foods that enable fish to grow to sellable size in a short space of time. To address these constraints, the USAID funded Feed the Future project is communicating best practices to fish farmers through several approaches, including demonstration ponds and farmer-to-farmer extension. Kofi Adu Domfeh reports on the work being done.