The Ministry of Natural Resources and Agriculture in collaboration with the Taiwan Technical Mission hosted a ground breaking ceremony for the building of a Tilapia Hatchery Center in Central Farm on Wednesday, July 17, 2013. This event is in regards of the Aquaculture Project that is being implemented in the development of the tilapia industry.
Present at the event was the Minister of Natural Resources and Agriculture, the Hon. Gaspar Vega, H.E David Wu Ambassador of Taiwan to Belize and other invited guess. This Aquaculture Project is estimated to have a cost of two and a half million US dollars (US$2,500,000.00) and duration of five (5) years which initiated from February 2012 and is to culminate on February 2017.
The aquaculture Tilapia Hatchery Building, will compromise of eighteen (18) earthen ponds, a reservoir and a sedimentation pond along with 12 nursery tanks and 16 fry concrete tanks.
The primary objective of this aquaculture project is to:
A.) produce 1 million “all male” high quality tilapia fingerlings to assist the development of the on-growing small-scale tilapia farming operations in Belize,
B.) promote the use of modern tilapia culture technology, increases the annual tilapia production, gradually decrease price in fingerling production
C.) the use of alternative feed to reduce commercial feed cost by 30-35% and to supplement the meat protein intake to families in rural areas through improved tilapia production in the region.
For More Information Contact:
Mr. Roberto Harrison
Acting Chief Agriculture Officer
Phone #: 622-7911
