Luanar in fish project in Mchinji

Lilongwe University of Agriculture and Natural Resources (Luanar) is implementing I Love Fish Project to improve the nutrition status of communities in Mchinji.

The project, which started in January 2016 and is expected to end in December 2018, is an action research project implemented through Department of Food, Science and Technology at Bunda Campus, with coordination from Germany-based Fraunhofer Research Organisation for Marine.

Speaking in an interview last Wednesday on the sidelines of a training for fish farmers at Kawere in Mkanda, the project officer for I Love Fish Project, Idrissa Nkwanda, said the project’s main aim is to improve community health through solar energy-based fish and crop integrated value chain.

“We are implementing integrated agriculture and aquaculture, where we are practising fish farming and vegetable production. We have two project sites in Mchinji and Nkhotakota where we are working with fish farming groups,” he disclosed.

Nkwanda pointed out that in Mchinji the project is working with three fish farming groups and the farmers have since been provided with different fish fingerings and fish feed.

“We are training fish farmers and care group women to process fish. They are being trained in how to process fish sausage, fish samosa and fish balls and fish porridge,” he said.

Mchinji district assistant fisheries officer Alex Makanjira said the project is working with three clubs in the district.