Shortly before all of us retreated to the safe confines of our homes because of the threat of COVID-19, the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) was in the process of staging the first orientation workshop on fish cage farming in Mindanao.
We have already identified the areas ideal for Bangus fish cage farming and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture and the Development Bank of the Philippines were already on board.
Our target participants in the program are poor fishing families who do not have the needed funds to start a fish cage operation and Overseas Filipino Workers looking for safe and profitable investments for their hard-earned money.
Even before COVID-19 could be totally defeated, MinDA is already preparing to continue its advocacies and laying the road maps.
With the introduction by Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go of the “Balik Probinsiya” Program to decongest the urban centers, the Fish Cage Farming Program of MinDA could be a livelihood option to entice informal urban dwellers to go home to their provinces.
For every cage, the Fish Cage farmer earns between P700,000 to P1-million after six months from an investment of about P2.4-million.
The farm gate price of Bangus now is the highest in recent years, according to Fish Cage farmers.
In addition to the Bangus, the fish cages are also seeded with the high-value Kitang and Danggit which fetch over 200 per kilo compared to P118 per kilo for Bangus.
Fish cage farming, aside from being very profitable, will also ease up the pressure on our traditional fishing grounds where fishermen sail and catch fish everyday to fill up the needs of the consumers.
Mindanao has the ideal areas for fish cage farming and all that is needed is a sound national program based on the failures and successes of the past to improve our production.
This will be a tremendous boost to the economy of the country since Philippine Bangus is preferred in foreign markets, especially in Filipino and Asian stores in America, because of its distinct taste.
For the “Balik Probinsya” Program beneficiaries, an orientation and training program could be conducted as soon they have resettled in areas near the coves and bays.
Unlike other agricultural operations, fish cage farming is relatively easy to learn and enjoyable too, what with all the Bangus jumping up and down every harvest time.
(All photos were taken by the MinDA Media Team and the DA Biyaheng Bukid Team.)
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