Zimbabwe is aiming to double its national fish production to over 60,000 metric tonnes annually under the Presidential Community Fisheries Scheme. This move is transforming rural livelihoods while enhancing food security and income generation. The programme has rapidly expanded across the country, reaching an increasing number of communities and institutions that are adopting fish farming as a viable commercial and domestic enterprise. One of the notable participants is the Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services, which has established fishponds to produce fish both for institutional consumption and commercial purposes. Lewane Robert, a fish farmer at one of the correctional centres, said the initiative is already showing tangible results, noting that their second cycle produced 500 kilograms of fish from a pond stocked with 2 000 fingerlings, with the project being leveraged as an income generation enterprise. Inmate Tatenda Dzakatira described how hands-on participation in fish farming is equipping them with practical skills, explaining that they began feeding fingerlings with starter feed and have now progressed to grower feed, supplemented with duckweed, demonstrating the programme’s capacity to combine production with skills development.
To ensure broader participation, the government is decentralising fingerling production to various centres across the country, including Henderson Research Institute in Mazowe and the newly established Matopo Research Institute, allowing farmers to access fingerlings closer to their locations. Mr Milton Makumbe, Director of Fisheries and Aquaculture Resources Production, emphasized that producing fingerlings near farmers is critical for survival rates and overall project success, highlighting the strategic importance of a streamlined supply chain in expanding aquaculture efforts. Despite these measures, Zimbabwe still faces a significant production gap, having produced only 31 000 metric tonnes of fish in the last assessment, far below the 60 000-tonne target. Stakeholders in the sector acknowledge that achieving the goal requires strengthening the entire aquaculture value chain, including feed provision, marketing channels, and technical capacity for farmers. Acting Chief Director ARDAS, Leonard Munamanati, stressed the importance of opening up markets and supporting farmers with fingerlings and dam stocking to improve nutrition, production, and household income. At the same time, Acting CEO of the Agricultural Marketing Authority, Mr Jonathan Mukuruba, raised concerns about market clarity, noting that farmers often lack information on where to sell their produce and who the potential buyers are, a gap that could undermine production expansion if unaddressed.
Development partners have also highlighted the need for a resilient value chain. National Professional Officer for Fish 4 ACP, Mr Paul Mwera, explained that an aquaculture value chain analysis identified critical bottlenecks in fingerling supply, feed availability, market access, and farmer technical skills. Addressing these challenges is essential to building a sustainable and inclusive aquaculture sector capable of generating income, creating employment, and enhancing food security. Beyond improving fish production, the programme aligns with Zimbabwe’s broader development agenda, particularly in promoting rural development, climate resilience, and economic diversification. By providing an alternative livelihood and nutrition source for vulnerable communities, aquaculture is emerging as a strategic intervention to mitigate the risks posed by climate change on rain-fed agriculture. For communities and institutions already engaged in the scheme, the benefits are evident, from increased house.
