COST OF STARTING CATFISH BUSINESS
I don’t know where you are reading this article from; however, I want you to understand that conditions and environment differ significantly.
You can be reading this article from Lagos Nigeria, some other persons can be reading it from Imo, PH, Ekiti, Kano, Akwa Ibom, Enugu, Bayelsa etc and even countries outside Nigeria. They may think the cost I have given here will be same.
You can’t expect the cost of land to build pond (for instance) in Lagos to be the same with that of Oyo?
You can’t also expect the cost of labour in Akwa Ibom to be the same with the cost of labour in Kano?
Even some other materials you might expect to be of the same price are not (even in the same city). The best way to do this is to move out and ask questions.
You`ll definitely get the cost of things you need to get started in your locality.
Things needed to start medium/large scale fishing business
If you`re planning to start the fishing business in a big way, you may need;
- bole hole,
- tank,
- fish pond,
- dependable electricity to pump water
- And some staff to work with you.
You will also have to get the price of the feeds you`ll need for feeding your catfish.
The major reason why I usually avoid discussing about the cost on this site is because cost, price or profit is all relative.
For example, the amount you will need to purchase a hectare of land to construct a fish pond in Abuja can comfortably take care of all your cost in certain part of Oyo state and the price you will sell an average catfish in Lagos may be what you will sell two in Kano.
You will see that it does not make sense to jump into conclusion that certain amount of money is what you will need to start a catfish business or that certain amount is what you will make.
The best way I think will be to go out and investigate both your cost of starting the cat fish business and your likely profit.
How much can a fish pond be constructed in your locality?
How much it will take you to get a bole hole done?
How much can you get a tank to store water?
Then, how much can you get 100, 500, 1000 etc, catfish fingerlings?
You have to know whom your competitors are and how to win there in the business.
You can start your cat fish business where the cost of labour is low so as to sell at competitive price?
Don`t try building your fish pond yourself, if you don`t know how to do so.
The catfish pond should be standard. Consult some nearby fish farmers who have ponds for advice.
Even if every other thing is alright, a bad pond can kill your profit.
Catfish is freshwater animal. Poor quality water alone can kill your efficiency. The best sources of water for fishing business are borehole and river. Rain water and tap water from treated source is not good for your fish.
Check acidity of your water. Acidic water is bad for fish. To check this, you will need to buy a PH meter, read your water and see the acid level.
Your fish must be well feed. Your feeds should contain proper nutrients like lysine, arginine and methionine. Some farmers try using local meals to feed their fish. This may be good provided those meals contain the essential fish nutrients. You have to increase your fish feeds as they grow, or otherwise, they will suffer malnutrition.
Cost of Catfish farming in Anambra state Nigeria
A feasibility study carried in Anambra state and prepared for a catfish farm of capacity is 10,000. Fingerlings were of high breed catfish. The expenses from pond construction to marketing are taken into consideration.
The farm is to have 10 concrete ponds of flow through system and each pond is to contain 1,000 stocked catfish.
Cost of constructing each pond is as follows.
Each pond is 3m x 2.5m by 1.4m; each pond consumes 210 blocks and each bag of cement for 30 blocks. Hence 210 x 10 = 2,100 blocks. 2,100/30 = 70 bags of cement needed. Hence cost =70 x 200 = 140,000 naira.
4trips of sand used = 8000 x 4 = 32,000 naira.
2trips of gravel = 32,000 x 2 = 64,000 naira.
Cost of labour = 180,000 naira.
Cost of plumbing (inlet and outlet facility) = 100,000.
Cost of bore hole = 500,000 naira.
Cost of treatment = 60,000.
Cost of high breed fingerlings 30×10, 000 = 300,000 naira.
Cost of feeding from day one to maturity stage is 200 bags of foreign feed = 1,000, 000 naira.
After the average weight of the fish was 1.7kg. And it was sold at 800 naira each. The output was 800 x 9800 fishes, 200 was lost due to mortality.
So, 700 x 9800 gives 6860,000 naira.
To Summarise, total expenses = 2.236 million naira.
The gain = 4.624 million naira after six months of culture.
If you have questions or comment, you can use the comment box below.
Good luck!
Where is the Market for the fish?
Hello Ekereobong Afia,
Do you mean target market for selling your grown matured fish or where you buy fingerlings. These are two different issues.
Hello Mr Onwuka, do you have a phone number I can reach you with?
Send me an email at immax2005@gmail.com
please who can help me construct a fish pond at my house in Abuja? my number is 09037550915
Hello Clifford,
Sorry for the late response!
We’ve tried contacting you but your phone number is switched off, you can reach us via this email;immax2005@gmail.com
Such an impress lecture,i wanted to start fish farming,i live in Benin precisely.trip of sand is 14000 naira.where to get these high breed finger nail or the one.
,i went into poultry,i almost loss my head..i will never risk my money in that business ..Thanks bos…
Hello Eugene,
it is always good to try and fail rather than not trying at all. So, get started with the fish farming.
I want to start fish farming in India
Mob no.
Good morning MF Eugene, my name is Peter and I am planning on starting a fish farm in the same benin. Please I need your advice. Here is my number
07033992951My email is
gadpeter800@yahoo.comI have a lot to still pen down
Please, Contact the admins before posting your phone number or email here!!!
Is there a market for exporting dried catfish to the UK? If yes, what is the profit margin and requirements?
Hello Mackson Wakama,
Dried catfish is not a good export product.
Who told you that? I can tell you that Dried fish is the best,just that you need to know the how and the necessary things to put in place
Do you have any idea of the basic steps to be taken.? Please enlighten .
“any idea of the basic steps to be taken” for what?
Great lecture, am really rapt and motivated. I think I’ll go in for fish farming one day.
Thanks very much.
Hello Alorbu Aaron,
Fish farming is highly lucrative but demands experience and skills
Oh okay… thanks for the tips, Emma Onkuwa I’ll do well to learn. Thanks again 🙂
very informative and encouraging I will go into the business straight away. but earth pond and concrete pond which is better? cos I may decided to stop the business one day and convert the land to estate
Hello Aliyu,
Good to hear that you will go back to the business. Both ponds has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Thanks for this information.
How do you get your market (people that buy the grow out fish)?
Again Is drying the fish more profitable and marketable than the fresh ones.
Thanks.
Hello Chigozie,
Go artisans close to you and find out how those in business sell the fish.
You can also start ‘point-and-kill’ joint where you sell the fish.
Fresh fish is more profitable.
Can’t someone start with 100K before taking it to a higher and more improved way?
Hello Lola,
If you have already built fish pond then it will be possible with that capital.
Please hw many days should 1000 fingerling eat a bag of coppens
Is it to know if you are overfeeding or underfeeding the fingerling?
Am really impressed,I really want to do it but want to start small,pls. I want to use an artificial pond.And i want to start with 100 fingerlings
Hello Sarah Abia,
That’s good. You can start from there.
Pls I need guidance
Okay
I want to know the cost of tarpaulin ponds that can carry 1000 mature catfish. I want to start small with the tarpaulin ponds. And also current cost of good breed fingerlings. Thanks
Hello Patini,
Where is your location?
If I have one million naira how may fish can I stock, and what can my gain b
Hi, am intrested in fish farming what time of d year is best to start. Also r u available for consultation, training and supervion of my staff? From pond construction to harvesting. Cheers. Eddie Williams. Lincoln. U.K
Yes, I am!!! You can always reach us at any time you are ready
Hi Emma,
You haven’t completely answered his questions. He asked what time of the year is best to start fish farming? You answered the second part of his question where he asked if you were available for consultations.
As someone who do a lot of correspondence with customers, I always make sure I take my time to follow each questions and answer appropriately. You would be surprised how unprofessional some people deem it when you don’t answer their questions appropriately.
Thanks
Hello Malick,
Can you quote the question?
Can you please get in touch with me on
08120124715.Nice break down bro, I have fish pond in benin city, I got one big earthen pond dat can stock 20000 fingernails, 2 small earthen pond dat can 2000 each and 3 concrete pond dat can stock 2000 each , now I’m constructing a hatching pond with reservoirs and some Guinness tank for fingernails and philating machine for local feed too. So u can see I have been working hard to put things in order, wat I ll like to know is that spending 1m for foreign feed and 1m for local feed .if I want to stock 20000 fingernails what do you think we be the result of it , we the strategy of a combin feeding we be enough to get dem to the stand on 1.7kg .
Thanks
Hello Roseville Granja,
If every other condition are normal, it will be enough.
Thanks bro , please can you drop me ur number , like tother get in touch with u .
Thanks bor! I am looking at starting a fish farm in Ota Ogun state, I have three plots of land as the only form of capital, will it be wise to seek for loans! I really need your advise. Thanks.
I advice you do with what you have. You can sell one plot and use the remaining two depending on the value of the land.
Thanks for the response! I have decided to start with the little I have after consulting a fish farmer, he said 200k will go a long way with 1000 fingernails. Then I can grow from there.
That’s Ok. All the best!
Nice write up. please am trying to set one up in warri, but my issue is how to dispose the water whenever i want to change it. The area where i plan to set it up has no drainage system. i will also like to have your contact so we can discuss other issues.
Regards
Send me an email at immax2005@gmail.com.
Pls I want to know if 300k can feed 1000 fingerlings to 1kg each.
Secondary is there any local feed that is still affordable and as well be good for fish growth?4.3
thanks bro, m a serving corp member BT I ll like to own a fish pond when am done,I see t very lucrative n having done my feasibility study I realize there is always market for fish. I ll like to get more experience before venturing into t tho,pls sir is there a way u render such service ??n how can I get in touch with you.thanks
Contact us at immax2005@gmail.com
QUALITY LOCAL CATFISH FEEDS AVAILABLE AT NGN2,500 PER 15KG BAG.
To make a lot of profit in your Catfish farming business, you need to cut the cost of feeding your fishes and Catfish grown at high densities requires a nutritionally complete feed to produce good growth and maintain good health. I’m a local manufacturer and distributor of high quality Catfish Feed in Nigeria. I distribute to all parts of the country to Sub-distributors, Wholesalers, Retailers and End-users. Visit Us @ No 3, Okele Street, Ogbogbo Ijebu North/East, Ogun State.
I’m a catfish farmer myself, hence, my floating and sinking pellets are properly prepared with a 58%(CP)crude protein good and well balance fish feed formulation. Available sizes are 0.2mm to 10mm suitable for juveniles to maturity, we supply Nationwide to your farm or doorstep at an affordable price of NGN 2,500 per 15kg.
The so-called foreign feeds are just reaping fish farmers off, the ingredients required to manufacture high quality feed are readily available here in Nigeria hence my Catfish feed has a high quality energy source required for growth and maintenance of body tissue resulting in improved weight gains because it is fortified with balanced vitamins, minerals and amino acids plus Stabilized Vitamin C required for better metabolism, skeletal formation, nerves, body fluid regulation and enzymes to yield maximum Productivity.
pls, I want to know the actual price per fingerlings now, update me ma or sir thanks
I marvel most times I read an articles on catfish farming. The way these self professed business men mislead readers(aspiring entrepreneurs) is intriguing.
Please, it’s not as simple as Emma has put it. The profit level is not as high also. PLEASE!!! There is a lot of hard work involved.
Did you notice the so called profit figure of #4m(in less than 6months) had some issues?
Let’s see them….
1. The cost of land was omitted.
2. The cost of labour in managing this size of farm
3. Miscellaneous expenses.
…and lastly, which is most important is the AVAILABLE MARKET. You could end up getting your fishes to 1.7kg but what’s the use if you can’t sell all? even if you eventually do, you need to feed the fishes everyday while you sell gradually? That would also cost you.
It’s a nice write up with good intentions anyway.
Cheers
Greetings,
Having gone through the message I learnt that u can start up with little or nothing provided u have the necessary things on ground, pls my question is? Do I need to text the temperature of water running from bohole and secondly how long can catfish be cultivated, thanks
Hello oparaugo Philip,
What do you mean by “u can start up with little or nothing provided u have the necessary things on ground”?
Is a great write up n very helpful.. .to me business is all abt risk.. For anyone to make it in our world today is a risk.. His writings r great n ll really help a lot, at list u ll kw watsup abt it all.. Cheers. Thanks
Hello Amaka,
Thanks! I’m glad you found the write up helpful.
nice write up, pls can 200,000naira be enough for 1000 fingernails, i hav a half plot of land in lagos@ifako, well with pumping machine and tank and i’will like to start with tarpauline pond, can the money do something?
Hello ADEOYE MUILI,
If it is just for buying of 1000 fingerlings and few months feedings, yes!
Nice one mr Emma, I am writing from Benue where’d the wheather get very hot, how can I contact you for detail information on the fish farm, bcos I am seriously interested and have no knowledge of the business.
Hello Joshua,
Do you want to start the business? ‘Seriously interested’ means you want start it?
Pls how much will be enough to feed 100000 fingerlings till they reach minimum of 1.7kg…..Using earthen ponds….God bless
is there a high demand for catfish… if i produce 10000 fishes and cant sell them, of what value is this business?
All I know is that the business is lucrative if properly managed.
i’ll like to know if there is market for producing mature fish. if i can produce 50000 fishes will i be able to sell them all?
It depends on;
1. your location.
2.your means of selling.
Find out from fisher farmers who resides in your location how they sell theirs and the available market.
Nice writeup ..
But using well water (hard water) will it affect the fishes negatively?
Hello Ucee,
Of course, you should know that.
Nice Write up. But i think you need the profit margin. It looks outrageous and unattainable.
Please can you enlighten me on the risks in this business of fish farming.
Many thanks
That will be a topic of another day.
Hello
my name is Caleb U. I am a graduate from the University of Agriculture, I studied fisheries and aquaculture. currently am a consultant here in Abuja and I run a tutorial class on fish farm business. this write up made here is well informed but that is when all things are put in place.
I can also give assistant here too if you need it, reach me on
send me your email.
What for?
Quite an interesting piece.
Hi, please I will like a break down of cost from start to finish and how many months do I need to grow the fish assuming I have all the structures in place. Thank you.
6 months
Hi,
I want to make a business proposal and I want it to be farming related. Do you reckon fish farming is advisable?
Kind Regards
Your question is not clear
Thanks for the info. I am planning on starting the business pretty soon
Okay!
Pls is 50 thousand naira enough for hundred fingerlings …to train them up and their feeds and all that
No sir! Train them up to what extent?
1.7 kg
What do you mean?
Please, what is the current price for a bag foreign and local catfish feed?
am very happy to read this article,am been try for long to know more about but fortunately today I get it here please can I do this with 500k just to start somewhere I half plot of land in mowe but d place in is not fenced yet can u bail me out
Yes, you can start in a low scale with that amount but for security purpose, you need to fence the land. So, if you can find a way to fence the land , you can start with that amount.
This is a truly comprehensive guide. Could you update it please? as some of the info are truly old. Thanks
Good day. Please how do I rent a land to start fish farming in abuja.?
You can go through Land agents in Abuja
Hello, Emma.
This is a great topic, I read though the post and comments, and I must confess I’m overwhelmed.
However, can I publish this on my blog? Ofcourse referencing you website as the source.
Kindly reply.
Update and reference this site as the source.
I stand to be corrected, 200 bags will never be enough for 10000 fingerlings till maturity stage, with that you can never make 1.7,i stocked 5000, currently have 2700 (sold 2300 last month) at their 4th month, so I know what they eat daily.
Very interesting breakdown..
We’re glad you find it helpful. We’ll update the article soon.
Hi Emma, You And Your Team Are Doing A Great Job, Keep It Up. What Is The Size Of Land That Can Contain The Ten Concrete Pond And Other Facilities For The Pond. TKS
Hello Emma. Thankyou very much for this wonderful write up. I want to start with 2000 juvenile and everything is setup but kindly tell me how many bags of feed do I need to feed 2000 juvenile for 5 months and at what stage can I introduce local feed to catfish
You need to pay me consultation fee for this.
Thank you for job well done,
I have #300,000 and don’t know how to invest on the fish farming.
I’m from Ekiti.
I need your professional ideas because I’m a novice is the system, I just want to venture into the fish farming business.
Hello Olugbenga Daramola,
You can start with 30-50 fingerlings since you are new to this business. Look for an agric engineer that can construct a low cost concrete fish pond for you unless you have an alternative. You can consult people who are already into the fish pond business around you. The problem with Ekiti in fish farming business is water source. So, necessary consultation must be made before you start.
Bros.
I need your your assistance on how to do my first pond.
Please I need analysis from the beginning to the end. And I want it to be under #8 million.
I will fence the land also.
The location will be Badagry Lagos state.
Thanks.
Assistance how???
If you are truly interested in Farming fish kindly contact me on.
How many plots of land will contain 10 ponds with 1000 capacity each?