Wooden ponds come in handy for farmers with small spaces

Jacklyn Musungu, a fish farmer from Nambale, Busia County shows her wooden fish bonds. [PHOTO: BENJAMIN SAKWA/STANDARD]

When you talk of fish ponds, what comes to mind are the traditional type that are dug on the ground and filled with water to create a habitat for the fish. But some farmers in Busia have discovered a smarter deal— backyard fish ponds also known as wooden fish ponds.

Jacklyn Musungu a resident of Nambale in Busia County is one of the farmers. The 42-year-old, has four wooden fish ponds which can carry over 200 fish each. She says, she opted for it because it is less labour intensive and requires little space. “Since I was introduced to this by a friend, I have never looked back. Wooden fish ponds are easy to manage since they are close to your homestead making it possible to keep thieves and predators at bay,” says Ms Musungu, a mother four.

The wooden ponds were introduced by the county as they rolled out the Economic Stimulus Plan that was aimed at boosting economic development. She began with only one fish pond in 2011 and three months later her cat fish were ready for harvest.The good harvest encouraged her to make more ponds and stock more cat fish fingerlings. The wooden fish pond has a lid on top to protect predators from attacking the fish. Its design makes harvesting easy because they are accessible and properly fixed.

Musungu is among the handful farmers from the area who have embraced this new technology and have seen the benefits. The county government has unveiled one homestead one wooden fish pond initiative which is expected to take fish farming to the next level.

To construct the wooden pond, the farmer explains that one needs timber, nails, a polythene bag and an expert to design and have the fish pond fixed. Constructing a single fish pond would cost a farmer between Sh15, 000 to Sh25, 000 depending on the size one prefers.

The cons

Experts speak highly of the wooden fish ponds. According to James Libaako, coordinator Kenya Agricultural Productivity and Agri-business Project in Butere, the wooden fish pond is one of the best fishing methods compared to traditional ones. Libaako explains that one of the best things about it is the fact that it can be easily embraced by those living in urban centre set up.

“It can be accommodated in a small space and this is an attractive aspect for people with space challenges. With a wooden pond, a farmer is able to control predators like snakes unlike in the old method where one has to trim grass around the pond often,’’he points out.

Libaako says another plus is the possibility that a farmer can easily add more fingerlings per unit. Every good thing has its downside. First, is the cost which can be prohibitive to some farmers.

“The raised pond is slightly expensive compared to the traditional one. This might be the reason why most farmers have not fully embraced it,’’ he points out. On top of that, a farmer is also expected to keep adding water to the wooden pond to keep the fish alive and in good health.

“With evaporation, you lose water so time and again it needs close monitoring to ensure water level is appropriate for the fish,” says the official. Even with those hurdles, Musungu has no regrets taking up this wooden technology. For her, this is the best thing she has brought on board in her fishing venture. To fill her ponds, Musungu sources her fingerlings from Kisumu or Bondo which according to her, are of high quality.

The farmers who use wooden fish ponds in the area have formed small groups and Saccos where they get to learn more on fish farming best practise. “We learn quite a lot during our meetings and members are able to get some little financial assistance to invest in fish farming in their homesteads,” she says.

The farmer is so passionate about fish farming, she has taken it upon herself to conduct community sensitization drive to encourage locals to embrace the project.

“Market availability has been a major challenge but such sensitisation drives go along way in bring more people on board to embrace this mode of fish farming,” says Ms Musungu. Musungu’s Sacco have big plans for the future.

“We plan to acquire a cooler where fish can be stored after harvest before it is taken to the market,” she says adding that collection centres will be established in strategic areas where farmers make their deliveries.