Guimaras fish farmers receive training to boost production

A number of fish farmers in the province of Guimaras received training on breeding and culture of freshwater species.

The training was conducted by the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute (NFRDI) in collaboration with the Provincial Office for Agricultural Services (POAS) and the Bureau of Plant Industry-Guimaras National Crop Research, Development, and Production Support Center.

Fifteen fishpond owners participated in the training held last March 6-7, 2023 in the Province of Guimaras.

The said fish farmers have hands-on training on breeding and culture of freshwater species such as tilapia, catfish, and mudfish.

The two-day workshop led by Dr. Casiano Choresca, Jr., Scientist I from NFRDI, was composed of lectures and hands-on training on induced breeding and spawning of tilapia, catfish, and mudfish.

The activity aims to capacitate local fish farmers to produce freshwater fingerlings to support the culture and production of the species in the province.

Training local fish farmers is also expected to increase their income and to achieve food sufficiency in the province.

The Provincial Government of Guimaras has started the construction of a multi-freshwater hatchery that seeks to provide fingerling requirements of fish farmers in the province.

Having a hatchery will also reduce the mortality rate of fingerlings during dispersal due to stress in handling and long hours of transportation. At the end of the training, the participants were given tilapia fingerlings.