Fish value addition initiatives open new opportunities in Vihiga

ROSE WASIKE-KNA

Youth in Vihiga County have begun benefiting from fish value addition initiatives aimed at transforming livelihoods and creating employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.

The youth are shifting from traditional fish farming to value addition practices such as processing, marketing, and input supply.

This includes transforming raw fish into higher-value products like fillets, samosas, and smoked fish.

The initiative is expected to increase profits, reduce post-harvest losses, and create diverse job opportunities for young men and women in the county.

The programme is being implemented under the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP) through the Advancing Resilient Nutrition-Sensitive Aquaculture (ARNSA) project. 

The project is funded by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (NORAD) in partnership with the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Vihiga County Government.

A team comprising ABDP officials, consultants, and other stakeholders visited Kaimosi Vocational Training Centre to hand over a fish processing kiosk to 16 selected youth from Shiru ward Aquaculture Group, who will spearhead the value addition venture.

The delegation engaged the youth to understand how they plan to run and sustain the business including sourcing fish from local farmers, processing and marketing the products.

Speaking during the visit, IFAD consultant and researcher Kevin Obiero said the team was keen on incorporating the views of the youth.

“We want to hear from you and pick a few ideas on how you want the project to be implemented,” he said.