In defying the commonly practiced error of stocking low quality fingerlings and broodfish, Agrivest Company engaged AquaLink to assist in securing quality tilapia brooders and fingerlings. Agrivest is a private owned company, located in the southeast part of Mangochi District. The farm is primarily established for cultivation of macadamia. The farm boarders with vegetatively covered hills of Liwonde National Park. The company has a 5 Ha and 15 Ha water holding dams at Chitakale farms. Downhill is the company farm where two dams are used as a water harvesting reservoirs. While harnessed water is irrigated into Macadamia fields during dry spells, Agrivest thought it wise to exploit dams with fishing and fish farming. Our company has been contracted to supply an initial batch of 50,000 quality fingerlings and 1,200 brooders of Oreochromis Karongae (predestined as Chambo) and Tilapia rendalli.  

Oftentimes the biggest mistakes that farmers make in fish farming is securing fingerlings or fish from unreliable sources whilst hoping to accrue better production returns. Although such stocks are secured at lower prices, the risk cost farmers scanty production outputs. Fish farming like other enterprises is a function of inputs; poor quality inputs yield low outputs. In escaping this error, Agrivest entrusted AquaLink to secure quality fingerlings and broodfish on their behalf.

While accessibility and securing of fingerlings and brooders is challenging in Malawi, yet still, AquaLink has met the supply requirements. Our company employed a robust approach to secure quality fingerlings and brooders that were delivered on 18^th April 2022 at Agrivest Chitakale farms. The company worked restlessly to secure quality brooders and fingerlings to meet required standards. Of paramount importance was identifying graded and healthy batches. During the transport process, our Aquaculture Technicians worked by the night to utilize low temperature window. This critical step suppresses fish metabolic processes with the aim of reducing uptake of Oxygen. Plastic fish liners filled with Oxygen were used to move fish from respective sites to a client farm. Both brooders and fingerlings were split and stocked into the two dams.

Excitingly, the director of Agrivest, Chris was impressed to see fish arriving in heathy state. “I am pleased to see heathy looking fish being stocked in these dams” Chris said. He went further to request AquaLink for further technical support. AquaLink agreed to be providing advisory support. This will mainly involve training the company with Best Management Practices (BMPs).