From 2016 to 2023, Aqua-Green Integrated Farming Support Initiative (AGI) executed a groundbreaking post-harvest training initiative to address a major challenge in aquaculture: reducing losses and maximizing profitability.
This program targeted smallholder fish farmers and cooperatives, equipping them with skills to process, package, and market their produce effectively.
The program began with a series of training workshops on value-added practices. Participants were taught techniques like fish smoking, filleting, canning, and preservation through cold chain logistics. These methods allowed farmers to transform raw fish into high-quality, long-lasting products that fetched premium prices. AGI also introduced farmers to advanced tools and infrastructure, such as smoking kilns, cold storage units, and vacuum-sealing packaging systems, ensuring that their products met market and export standards.
To enhance market access, AGI provided training on packaging and branding, teaching farmers how to make their products visually appealing and comply with regulatory requirements. Farmers learned to label their products with nutritional information, shelf life, and quality assurances, which helped them gain credibility in competitive markets.
- Hands-On Training: Practical workshops on fish processing techniques, including smoking, filleting, and canning.
- Infrastructure Provision: Introduction to tools like smoking kilns, cold storage systems, and vacuum-sealing packaging machines.
- Market Linkage Facilitation: Connecting farmers to local buyers, cooperatives, and export markets via trade fairs and e-commerce onboarding.
- Value Addition Practices: Guidance on packaging, branding, and compliance with export standards.
The initiative also connected farmers to buyers, cooperatives, and export aggregators. AGI organized trade fairs and e-commerce platform onboarding sessions to expose participants to broader markets, both locally and internationally.
By the end of the program, thousands of farmers had successfully adopted value-added techniques, leading to a significant reduction in post-harvest losses and a sharp increase in income. The initiative created ripple effects in rural communities by boosting employment in fish processing and marketing while solidifying AGI’s reputation as a leader in agricultural value chain development.
This case study highlights AGI’s commitment to driving economic empowerment by bridging the gap between production and market profitability through innovative training and support.
AGI
Hands-on training workshops, fish processing techniques, packaging and branding guidance, market access facilitation
Cross River (state) · Akwa Ibom · Bayelsa · Elelenwo, Nigeria · Bénin, Nigeria · Delta State · Rivers State · Imo (state) · Aba, Nigeria
Aqua Green Plaza, Opp Diamond Close Estate by Centenary Garden on Eneka link Road, Off Eliozu – Rukpoku Road., Elelewon, Nigeria, 500211
