Submitted by Ready done
We believe in Aquaponics, it is an idea that solves so many problems we are currently facing towards becoming a circular economy. Kristen Adams of Adams Aqualife recently won the Bank On Me competition, highlighting the massive available liquidity in the fish farming market. No doubt interest in fish farming is on the increase.
Operating an Aquaponics system on any given day is a veritable mix mash of plant husbandry, organic chemistry, water flow dynamics, soil science, then there is the fish to take care of. It seems daunting on paper at first with all the science but navigating the learning curve of Aquaponics is a journey made simple with hands-on experience – as the saying goes ” you ent a fish farmer till you kill a million fish” prepares you for the unavoidable mistakes and mass fish kills. The frequency of this unfavourable experience can be greatly reduced with good system design. It is our intension to save millions of fish and to kick start an Aquaponics industry in Barbados. We have been trying from 2005 because we intend to fill the information void on the subject.
Depending on what type of system you want you can spend as little as a high-end smart phone on a hobby system, as much as an equivalent sized poultry operation or mega like Kristen. Aquaponics is viewed as the most advance tool in the small business farmers toolkit. It has the advantage of a steady supply of produce at competitive prices, and one up on poultry in terms of lower labour requirement and no smelly manure to dispose of thus offering a more attractive business model. And it is a timely lifeline to the small farmer who is losing the fight to subsidise industrial type farming and cheap imports. The high level of science applied appeals to persons who have never been in traditional farming because the documented practices are easy to follow and implement.
In our time spent at Agrofest in a home provide by the ministries of fisheries and on farm meetings we determined the target customer to be a male aged 40ish who can earn $700.00 a week from home. The first step to enabling the customer to achieve the target is to pick up the AP hobby and learn the trade with hands on experience. We began in 2010 with the help of the United Nations Small Development Program. We designed a backyard system for Barbados that is cost effective and at a size practical enough for target consumer to learn the concept of Aquaponics. The result: a savings of $15 a week in food. Yet it is fully contained, children-safe and can go without attention for up to three months at a time. This is a key attribute because the learning process is long term and available time spent depends on current priorities, experience in system design etc.
Our current project is to build a system that can generate $500-$800 in profit a week. We estimate they are 6,889 interested persons in Aquaponics in Barbados, if you are one of them or know someone who might be, like our Facebook Page. Send us a comment let us know what your thinking.
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