JOHN MYERS, JR., ContributorGAYLE, Clarendon:
THE JAMAICA Broilers Group through its aquaculture subsidiary has introduced a new fish production technology called the Super Intensive Pond Culture that is expected to improve efficiency and lower production costs on its fish farms at Longsville Park in Clarendon yesterday.
The new technology which was adopted from Taiwan is being piloted on one of the company's private contract farms in Clarendon. According to the experts, this new technology is expected to achieve at least 30 per cent reduction in the cost of growing tilapia fish, thereby enhancing the competitiveness of the product in international markets.
With this new technology the fishes are cultured in small concrete lined tanks or intensive production units, IPU, instead of the traditional large earthen ponds. A total of four IPUs were built on the farm as part of the pilot project that are 60 feet in diameter and 3 feet in depth, with each IPU stocked with 32,000 tilapia fish.
"We are putting the same number of fish in tanks that are 60 feet in diameter that are 3 feet deep as we would put in an acre and a half earthen pond, so the savings in space and water are immense, and you also save in labour since you are managing such a small unit with same potential production as a larger area," Donny Bunting explained, owner of the fish farm in Longsville Park, Clarendon.
"We anticipate getting a yield in 5 months of between 11 and 16 tonnes (of fish) per tank at approximately 450 grammes in size at the end of that period," Mr. Bunting added.
The pilot project, which is being done at a cost of $4.3 million has been financed to the tune of $3.8 million by the Agriculture Support Services Programme, (ASSP) of the Ministry of Agriculture. The remaining 10 per cent has to be provided by the farmer.
According to Hershell Brown, project director of the ASSP, this is part of the $10.8 million that the ASSP has granted to aquaculture to assist in developing the local tilapia industry.
Managing director of Aquaculture, John Carberry, said the ITU is the first of a three part, which will encompass husbandry, marketing and genetic development.
"The intention is for the unit and (ITU) to revolutionise the fish farming industry in Jamaica. It invests heavily in the high-tech concept of intensive fish farming, where a lot of the parameters are automatically controlled and stocking densities are very high (which) is being adopted to local conditions," Mr. Carberry explained.
Minister of Agriculture, Roger Clarke, said he was pleased with the development of the new technologies in the aquaculture industry that the government explained a pivotal role in the advancement of the industry. "What we are seeing today is technology at its best and I am very pleased to be associated with this arrangement that is put down here today. I am happy to know that the government is playing a pivotal role in what you are doing to advance technology at this point in time."
Minister Clarke added that, "There are many areas in agriculture that holds a great promise, and we must emphasise them." According to Mr. Clarke, we tend to accentuate the negatives, but there are many positive things happening in agriculture at this time and we need to log on to them."
President and chief executive officer of the Jamaica Broilers Group said that this technology in the aquaculture industry, "could be the resting board that takes us into a whole new industry that can be the most meaningful industry in agriculture for the coming decade."
