Nutreco N.V. and Oxfam Novib have joined up in Nigeria to launch a one-year pilot project to promote sustainable fish farming for smallholder farmers, to meet the government’s desire to encourage domestic production.

Aquaculture is a growing business in the country, with a big domestic market for catfish. This project supports small-scale fish farmers to increase their per pond yield of fish and to produce the fish in an environmentally friendly way.

“The project with Nutreco will help small farmers, especially women, to take a step towards a sustainable livelihood. This will lead to higher productivity and a better income for the fish farmers, with the added benefit of more sustainable production methods,” said Farah Karimi, executive director at Oxfam Novib. “Nutreco is showing responsibility for a better future for the people and the environment in Nigeria.”

Nutreco NV, a Dutch producer of animal and fish feed and processed meat products, is an important player in the Nigerian fish feed market and has a production facility in a joint-venture with local fish feed supplier Durante.

Speaking about the company’s role in the project, Knut Nesse, CEO of Nutreco, explained, “With on-site training and provision of high quality feed, we can help Nigerian farmers to increase yields and operate more sustainably. Producing according to the international standards in our industry will also help them gain access to international markets.”