Ebonyi House member trains youths fish production

EXCITEMENT filled the hearts of 50 youths in Ebonyi State last week as the Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Agricultural Colleges and Institution, Rt. Honourable Linus Okorie, facilitated the training of youths in fish production.

Okorie said, that if the state could become a fish producing state coupled with the already existing food production potential, it could overcome recession.

The lawmaker who represents Ohaozara/Onicha/Ivo federal constituency had, in recent time, also trained numerous women and other farmers on the new trend in cassava cultivation just as  he distributed hybrid cassava and maize seedlings to farmers in the constituency.

He had also held trainings for farmers on the art of marketing agricultural produce and the benefits of cooperative societies.

It was, therefore, another boast when the lawmaker, last week, organised provision of empowerment training and support on fish production for no less than 50 youths from the constituency.

The youths were trained by the Federal College of Fisheries and Marine Technology, Lagos.

The youths also received training on how to rear consumable fish and  different types of feeds.

Declaring the training open, Okorie told the participants that the training was meant to enable them apply the knowledge in creating wealth for themselves.

He said, “the country is changing and people need to eat. The country should produce what it eats and eat what it produces. Importation of fish is telling on the economy and now the government says we must feed ourselves.

“Even if we have all the food, we still need the safest protein which is fish. Since we produce considerable quantity of food in Ebonyi State, we are going to complement it with fish production so that we can attain self sufficiency.”

Okorie urged the trainees to share the knowledge from the training with others, so that the state could boast of having enough fish farmers.

“Our plan is not just to train you, but to make you become masters in fish production, because we have plans for food chain that includes marketing of the products.

“We need to build local capacity on fish production, it will be followed with fish driers and we will create value chain which will bring about jobs for hundreds in fish business,” said Okorie.

He urged them to ensure that they formed themselves into cooperative groups, which he said will give them additional support such as loan facilities for greater fish production.