An ambitious aquaponics research project Led by researchers from the Centre for African Research on Enterprise and Economic Development at the University of the West of Scotland (CAREED UWS), has been launched to help increase productivity in the sector by 50 per cent.

Through the project, the researchers hope that it could help as many as 80,000 farmers across 2,000 farms to reduce food shortages within 10 years. The developing farmers who will be involved in the pilot project will be given aquaponic starter kits, seeds, and special training that will help them to become economically independent over time.

The project involves participants from CAREED UWS and social enterprise collaborators NjordFrey, based in Rwanda, who was recently awarded a grant of £283,774 by the Department for International Development (DFID)/Innovate-UK for the 18-month feasibility study. Additionally, it will be led by principal researcher Professor John Struthers, director of CAREED and Drs Adebisi Adewole and Dina Nziku, who is Deputy Directors of CAREED UWS.

Commenting on the project, Professor Struthers said “This innovative project has been really exciting for me and my colleagues to develop. It is effectively introducing a new approach to fish farming while simultaneously increasing the production of crops, lowering pollution and reducing fuel costs, so the benefits are significant and wide-ranging."

If it is a successful feasibility project, the ultimate aim is to jointly commercialize the technology, and then go to the next level. Fundamentally, the project will strive to be a market leader that can be extended to more sectors in Africa.

Photo courtesy of Google

Article by Jedidah Mwangi

Source;https://thefishsite.com/articles/ambitious-aquaponics-project-aims-to-boost-food-security-in-rwanda