LASCAFAN laments over 50% depletion of members in last two years
The Lagos State Catfish Allied Farmers Association of Nigeria (LASCAFAN), Ikorodu zone, Bimpe Idowu, has warned that if nothing is not done quickly to aid the sector’s players and salvage what is left of the industry, the country should expect freshwater fish scarcity very soon.

Secretary of the association, Bimpe Idowu, who spoke, yesterday, during the cluster formation concept for export development and economic prosperity in Lagos State, organised by the Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC), said they are currently dealing with a multitude of challenges that are depleting their numbers daily.

She said that over 50 per cent of their members had abandoned the business in the last two years for running at a massive loss, adding that the rest of them still in the industry are barely hanging on by a thread.

The event, themed: “Developing Aquaculture for Export: Mitigating Export Reject in International Market, brought together the different zones in the state to seek ways on how to boost dried fish exports for Forex, targeting regional and international markets, as well as reducing rejection incidences.

Idowu, therefore, urged the NEPC to partner with relevant agencies to develop local alternatives that could be used in place of the antibiotics, which would help to reduce costs and eliminate the need for antibiotic use.

“We need one-digit interest loans and grants as the cost of feed is high by over 500 per cent in the last few years,” she said.