I own a fish farm and belong to Alero Fish Farmers Cooperative Union, a fishing cluster in Egboko Itsekiri, Warri South LGA, Delta State. PIND’s aquaculture service providers usually come around to train us on best management practices. Also, if we have any issues with our fish farm, we would reach out to them, and they would come to check on our progress. We are well-trained in this business. We also received training from USAID, which PIND also facilitated. There, I learned how to process fish and degut and skewer the fish for drying. I have also stepped down this training to other farmers within my cluster. They come to my farm, and they help in processing the fish. In 2020/21, PIND also introduced us to Sterling Bank and selected some of us to receive loans. I was one of the loan beneficiaries and refunded it within one year. I was on my farm one day and received a call from PIND.
They told me they wanted to give me another benefit in commemoration of International Women’s Day: a biodigester and a smoking kiln. They brought the equipment to my farm and oversaw the entire installation. I no longer use drums for smoking fish. One of the issues I had with using the drum and firewood grill was the smoke. As the oil from the fish drops into the fire, the flames will go up, so I always had to stay close to monitor the grill. The smoke from the fire also harmed my eyes, and I often had to step away from the grill to catch my breath. The smoking kiln has a regulator.
I can conveniently adjust the heat. I can also dry more fish at once with the kiln than with the drum. I could not dry more than 20 kilograms of fish with the drum, but I could dry as much as 100 kilograms in the kiln. There’s enough space for the fish, and I do not have to wait for one batch to dry before I start a fresh set. I no longer have to reject some processing jobs because of a lack of space. The kiln also has a door that I can shut to lock in the heat. Once the door is closed, I focus on the regulator. If it is too high, I adjust it. It is not like an open fire; you can leave it unattended. I handle all my business – farming, selling, and processing – on my farm. I even expanded by adding a provision store. Customers can buy drinks from the store and relax while they wait for their fish. PIND has really helped me. I appreciate them.