BAGUIO CITY — Aquaculture such as fish farming is viable, sustainable and now a profitable business here in Cordillera which is now also being patronized by rice, corn and vegetable farmers as an alternative source of their income to help improve the living conditions of their respective families.
This was affirmed by Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Assistant Regional Director Lilibeth Signey, who said more farmers and individuals from the different parts of the region are now venturing into fish farming and maximizing the use of available land areas in their places for profitable purposes among others.
According to Signey, there are now more and more Cordilleran entrepreneurs who are venturing on fish farming especially on culturing ‘tilapia’, ‘hito’ (mudfish), fresh water prawn, ‘yuyu’ and ‘Pangasius’ and have reportedly improved in their production over the past several years thereby signifying the vibrance of fish production in the highlands.
Signey also assured that fish farming is also a profitable business in the region which is still experiencing ‘deficit’ on fish supply even with ‘tilapia’ that is now being produced in the area but efforts are being exerted by concerned government agencies and local governments as well as fish industry stakeholders to make a turnaround in fish production in the region.
She also encouraged entrepreneurs to venture into the fishery sector as aside from the high viability and profitability, they could also help in ensuring more fish supply for the region, aside from creating employment which will benefit unemployed individuals in their places and provide people with descent income.
Signey also stressed that BFAR also has programs that could help would be entrepreneurs such as training, technical assistance and in ensuring the availability of ‘inputs’ (fingerlings) for their fish farm so that they will not have serious problems in the future which could result to their abandoning fish production that will greatly affect the growth of the industry.
“We also have what we call as techno demo project wherein our office provides construction materials for fish farming facilities for qualified beneficiaries, may it be an LGU, cooperative, associations or even an individual who have the capability and interest to venture in such business”, Signey said.
She also announced that all the Cordillera provinces have provincial fishery officer and any interested LGU, association or individual just need to is to approach them, show their business proposal and proposed project sites so that it could be evaluated in terms of the feasibility of the project,” Signey added.
To ensure that fish farmers would have proper and well equipped venue to sell their products, BFAR is also venturing into the establishment of ‘Bagsakan ng Isda sa Barangay’ project which will guarantee the sustained fish production, especially in far flung communities and convince farmers and individuals to enhance fish production as their main source of income geared towards improving.
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