1. AGRICULTURE : Aqua-culture
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Opportunity
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The purpose of this project is to develop aqua-cultural schemes (fish farming) around Mafefe located in the eastern region of Lepelle-Nkumpi LM, which could in turn result in the formation of an aqua-cultural cluster.
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Nature of the Project
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Various stages that will form part of fish farming are:
- Hatchery stage
- Nursery stage
- Grow-out stage
- Processing stage
- Marketing stage
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Rationale for this venture
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The potential for fish production is limited by the low availability of suitable water bodies in the district, however there are efforts underway in the province of converting disused irrigation schemes into aqua-cultural projects. Irrigation schemes make use of on-farm storage dams as ponds for fish production.
Water bodies available in the Lepelle-Nkumpi municipality include:
- Mogoto Dam
- Nkumpi Dam
- Rooipoort Dam
- Nkumpi river
- Olifantsriver
- Tudumo river
- Mohlapitsi river
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Attractiveness Assessment
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Globally the fish supply per capita decreased from 14.6 kg in 1987 to 13.1 kg in 2000. Even with the per capita decrease, aquaculture’s overall contribution to global supplies increased from 9% in 1980 to 44% in 2007..
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Potential Economic Impact
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The following two potential impacts were identified for developing aqua-cultural schemes:
Socio-Economic Impact:
- Job creation (fish farming in Asia directly employs 12 million people)
- Income generation
- Skills development
Environmental Impact:
- Provide an alternative to continued depletion of natural fisheries, by reducing the world’s dependency on wild stocks of fish
- Settling ponds have proven to be an effective means of reducing source pollution
- Settling ponds can increase productivity in a pond-based water recycling system
- Release of non-native fish species is minimised because fish is grown in a secure closed system
Upon developing an aqua-cultural scheme, the following BEE/SMME opportunities could arise:
- Reliable truck company to transport fingerlings
- Cage building company
- Local feed producing company
- Marketing
- Packing and packaging products
- Opportunity for company to assist with harvesting
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Investment Requirements
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A list of potential national funders:
- Industrial Development Corporation (IDC)
- Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA)
- Land bank
- National Empowerment Fund (NEF)
- Khula Enterprise Finance
- Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)
- South Africa’s Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP)
- National Research Foundation (NRF)
- SEDA
- SETA
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Linkages
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The following secondary uses could emerge from the proposed venture:
- Medicinal products (Fish oil)
- Food (Gelatine)
- Fertilisers (Fish manure rich water)
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