1. Fish farming and supplying business plan Designed for
Beginners
If you are planning to start a fish farm, you have probably made the right choice. It can turn
into a lucrative business provided you have chosen the right location and market for your
farming business.
How to start a fish farm
To make sure you start on a high, make sure you have a business plan. When you get a
business plan together, you will naturally find it easy to build your business. Typically, you will
need to include executive summary, business introduction, market research, management
strategy, marketing strategy, and financial aspects of your business. Your business plan will
not just serve as a document that your business can use as roadmap but it will also open up
opportunities for funding and loan for your business. Therefore, make sure you put your heart
and soul into developing a business plan.
One of the most important factors when starting a fish farm is location of the pond. You have
to select a location based on number of factors such as water supply, access to the market,
land, soil, infrastructure, and pollution in the uphill lands.
- Water supply: Look for areas with excellent water supply when starting a fish farm. You will
have to ensure that your pond has regular supply of water throughout the year. You will also
need to know quality of water. You will also need to check that you get enough water for your
fish. Cold-water fish such as trout may require huge supply of water to thrive.
- Soil: Make sure that the soil is free from pollutants and chemicals when starting a fish farm.
It will harm your fish and reduce their growth resulting in lower profits. In some cases, it can
even kill fish.
- Land: Land should be plane and not steep slopes that you select when starting a fish farm.
If you need to plain it because of otherwise perfect site, consider doing it before going ahead
with the rest of the plan.
- Infrastructure: Your fish farm should be in an area where you have proper infrastructure
including roads and utilities.
- Access to the market: Your fish farm should be located in an area where market is easily
accessible. You don’t want to travel hundreds of miles just to reach the market.
Apart from choosing the right location, you’d also want to get involved with the value chain
when starting a fish farm. Value chain means supplying fish to the end customer. It includes
packaging, marketing, and delivery. If you can get involved with this, you will end up saving
plenty of money that will count as profit from your business.

2. Even if you are not getting involved with the value chain, you will still need to do market
research to ensure that you know about your competition. You will have to understand
market demand and supply from fish farms. This should help you to understand whether an
opportunity in the market exists. Additionally, you will need to learn about fish species that
are high in demand and yield higher profits when starting a fish farm.
Fish farming in nigeria Suitable for First timers