A tilapia nutrition and feed workshop on Friday at the newly- commissioned Satyadeow Sawh Aquaculture Station, Mon Repos, was the first component of a collaborative agreement between the Ministry of Agriculture and the University of Arizona to train aquaculture farmers.
The second element will include the conduct of a scientific trial of local ingredients substituting fish meal in tilapia and pacu diet, the Government Information Agency (GINA) reported.
The two-day workshop conducted by Dr. Kevin Fitzsimmons, Professor of the Univer-sity of Arizona was planned to take the form of theory and practical sessions.
Participants were expected to focus on pond designs, water quality, production, health and diseases that affect tilapia, while the practical sessions would include plankton examinations, identification of male and female tilapia and dissection and pond fertilization.
Sessions were also scheduled to be conducted at the Maharaja Oil Mills where local feed materials would be examined to determine the best combination.
Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud, speaking at the opening of the workshop, told the farmers that the development of the sector would bring advantages such as technical skills from experts to assist participants and give them exposure.
Persaud said further that much emphasis was being placed on the workshop to reduce the dependence on feed importation. With the rising prices globally for feed and agricultural inputs, there is need for feed production locally.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Aquaculture Association of Guyana (NAAG) Beni Sankar said the aquaculture sector is important since the industry is one which can help develop the country.
And the only issue which restricts the programme is the technical knowledge and in the near future, a degree programme in aquaculture will be offered at the University of Guyana.
The industry plays an important role in Guyana’s economy, contributing close to three percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and employs approximately 13,000 people in addition to providing a main source of animal protein.
This industry was identified for development under the National Competitiveness Strategy (NCS) which resulted in the formation of the NAAG, GINA stated.
A National Action Plan has been devised for this sector, aimed at realizing the establishment of 9,000 hectares of fish ponds by year 2015.
On August 7, the Mon Repos demonstration farm was re-dedicated to the late Minister of Agriculture Satyadeow Sawh and a tilapia hatchery was also commissioned with the capacity to produce 200,000 tilapia fingerlings yearly, GINA added.