By Pamenus Tuso
The long-running struggle by fish farmers in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces to access affordable and reliable fingerlings may soon ease following the establishment of a government-led breeding facility at Matopos research centre.
For years, small-scale farmers across the region have dug ponds, secured water and mobilised resources but only to wait months for fingerlings that could only be sourced from distant Kariba.
As a result, many potential fish breeders were forced to abandon their projects before they even began.
Fish farmers such as Thulani Ncube from Gwanda say the challenges have been discouraging.
“We have waited for years for something like this. If the Matopos hatchery delivers as promised, it will completely change our lives because many of us failed to start fish projects simply because fingerlings were too far and too expensive,” said Ncube.
Zimbabwe Fish Producers Association chairperson Garikai Munatsirei said the shortage has been one of the most crippling constraints for farmers in Matabeleland. “Farmers dig their ponds, they fill them with water but they cannot get the fingerlings to put in there. The waiting time is so long,”
“And to make matters worse farmers have to go and get them from Kariba which is very far away” said Munatsirei in an interview with CITE.
Munatsirei, whose association represents more than 300,000 members nationwide, revealed that demand for fingerlings has grown rapidly as the government pushes for grassroots empowerment through aquaculture. He said the new hatcheries at Matopos, Makoholi (Masvingo) and Underson (Mashonaland Central) would not solve the problem immediately but would mark a major step toward ensuring reliable and decentralised supply.
“When the hatcheries are fully functional in about 12 months’ time, the pattern of fingerlings available to the market will be significantly different in a positive direction,” he said.
Speaking at the launch of the hatchery management guidelines in Bulawayo recently, Food and Agriculture Organisation FAO Sub-regional Coordinator for Southern Africa, Dr Patrice Takoukam Talla said the new guidelines and breeding centres would help correct serious weaknesses in the value chain especially in regions like Matabeleland where farmers have been forced to rely on informal or river-sourced breeding stock.
“Zimbabwe has over 10,000 dams with potential for fish production but potential alone is not enough. It must be matched with the right conditions, infrastructure, markets and skills,” said Dr Talla.
He warned that the absence of structured breeding programmes has compromised productivity.
“Farmers in their determination to meet demand, have resorted to sourcing genetics from rivers and informal suppliers. These practices compromise both productivity and sustainability,” noted Dr Talla.
He added that the new guidelines provide “a practical, science-based framework” to improve fingerling quality while ensuring inclusivity so that “women and youth must not be left behind.”
Deputy Minister of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development Davis Marapira said the new facility, long awaited by farmers across Matabeleland is now taking shape.
“At the Matopos fisheries unit, five fishponds have been constructed and 525 male and 140 female fish breeders have been stocked,” he said.
The deputy minister added that three boreholes have been drilled, one solarised and fully equipped, ensuring constant water supply.
“We are optimistic that by mid-December 2025, we will begin producing fingerlings,” said the deputy minister.
Once fully operational, the decentralised breeding sites will produce up to 10 million fingerlings per year, though Marapira stressed that demand sits at around 150 million for Zimbabwe to achieve a US$1 billion aquaculture economy.
Munatsirei also highlighted other challenges still affecting farmers in Matabeleland and beyond, including shortages of fish feed and what he called misaligned taxation.
He said VAT on local fish makes it 15 percent more expensive than competing proteins such as chicken.
“That is not a good way to encourage the growth of the sector. We want to make sure that proteins fairly compete for consumer dollars,” said Munatsirei.
He appealed for temporary removal of duties on imported aquaculture equipment to allow small producers in regions like Matabeleland to quickly scale up.
Marapira said the government intends to establish fingerling distribution hubs across districts after the pilot hubs in Masvingo and Mutasa helped farmers cut production costs by up to 40 percent.
Under the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme, he said, the availability of fingerlings from government breeding units will support fish production at thousands of Village, school and youth business units, including many in Matabeleland where interest in aquaculture is rapidly growing.
For farmers like Sithandazile Moyo from Matopos, the decentralisation of hatcheries is a breakthrough.
“This facility gives us hope. Transporting fingerlings from Kariba was not practical for small farmers like us. Having a local source means we can finally grow fish consistently and treat aquaculture as a real business, not a gamble,” she said.
Dr. Talla said FAO will continue supporting capacity building, legal reforms, business training and genetic improvement to ensure the new hatcheries deliver lasting impact.
Marapira encouraged all hatcheries to adopt and implement the new guidelines, calling them “a tool and a weapon for transformation” that will guide Zimbabwe toward improved food security, nutrition and economic growth.
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