For several years, Mozambique has grappled with a decline in wild fish catches due to mounting demand and overfishing. Given the significant role fish plays in the Mozambican diet and economy, the government has placed a premium on aquaculture to offset the diminishing catches. Nonetheless, small-scale fish farmers encounter obstacles in running aquaculture ventures as viable businesses and securing funding. While large-scale farmers benefit from foreign soft loans or capital, their small-scale counterparts struggle to access funding at reasonable rates, leaving numerous potential aquaculture entrepreneurs without financial backing. To tackle these challenges, the Global Market Access Programme (GMAP) lent support to the training of the National Institute for Fisheries and Aquaculture Development (IDEPA).
The training’s primary aim was to arm IDEPA officers with the skills to devise Standard Business Plans for aquaculture enterprises, encompassing the cultivation of mollusks and seaweed, thereby fostering the growth of sustainable aquaculture businesses in Mozambique. Specific objectives included instructing Trainer-Of-Trainers (TOTs) to: (i) grasp the financial facets of aquaculture investment, production, marketing, and promotion; (ii) formulate Aquaculture Business Plans; and (iii) coach fish farmers in managing aquaculture operations as businesses.
Conducted over a week from October 16th to 20th, 2023, the training comprised thirteen key components, spanning entrepreneurship, fish farm management, fundamental management principles, financial aspects, risk mitigation, financial planning and analysis, and best practices in aquaculture management. Participants, hailing from all provinces of the country and IDEPA officers from its headquarters in Maputo, were equipped with entrepreneurship skills, including a customer-centric approach, cost-efficiency, adaptability, and risk management, along with the essential steps for embarking on a successful aquaculture venture.
Operated within the framework of the Global Market Access Programme (GMAP), the MAMAP project is executed in Mozambique by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), with funding support from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad).
