By Ernest KISSIEDU
Users of the Accra-Cape Coast road would have noticed that Tuba Junction, otherwise known as Kasoa Toll Booth, is gradually growing into a tilapia market.
Travelling in the Kasoa direction, one can see the sellers dotted linearly over more than a 100-metre distance on both sides of the road.
When need be, both young and old would approach vehicles, displaying the fresh Tilapia on trays and calling out for passengers and travellers to buy them.
The area has become the latest hotspot for plying the tilapia trade, following in the steps of various streets of Accra and other vantage points.
It would be recalled that in recent years, there has been huge demand for fresh Tilapia, as more Ghanaians develop a taste for the popular delicacy.
This has led many entrepreneurs to leave other businesses and venture into the aquaculture industry, investing in commercial Tilapia farming.
Toll Booth case
In separate interviews during a visit to the Toll Booth area, Business Day discovered that the business has become very lucrative.
Paa Willie, a 30-year-old tilapia merchant said though the business is a good one, there is a little challenge on how to keep the tilapia fresh always.
“The only problem I normally encounter with this tilapia business is that of how best to keep the fish fresh always. Once the fish is displayed on the tray, all I need is to get iced-blocks and put them on the fish. This will prevent it from getting spoilt.”
Telling of his source, he said “I buy my tilapia directly from fishermen,” he said, adding that “at other times, I buy it from Afram Plains.”
Paa Willie disclosed that the price of one crate of smaller sized tilapia ranges between GHC300.00 and GHC400.00 while the bigger sized tilapia goes for between GHC400.00 and GHC700.00.
“On a good day, I make a lot of profit and it is better than sitting at home, idling around and doing nothing,” he revealed.
Rita Ollor, also a merchant, described the Toll Booth area as a good place to do their business.
“Sales at the market are not encouraging like the way travellers buy the tilapia on the road, especially at the Toll Booth. And it is really helping a lot.
“However, when I’m not able to sell the fish because of a slow market, it rots. But when the market is good, I get my profit,” she narrated.
What we know
Some of food stalls and drinking spots and bar joints have popular treat, tilapia served with hot pepper, onions and local side dishes like Banku and Kenkey.
Owners of these tilapia stalls and joints have indicated in various interviews that the business is booming. When they buy the tilapia fresh from the market and spice it well with ginger, among others, people like it very much.
The story is told of Rehoboth Goshen Fisheries Limited, which is located on the shores of the Volta Lake. It has several cages put up for rearing the fingerlings that develop into tilapia. The business, which started in 2011, employs more than 20 workers.
Depending on the density of Tilapia in the water at the time of harvesting, one can sometimes harvest as much as four tons (4,000 kilograms) of fish in one net.
Research developments
Largely, investors in the tilapia business owe their success to efforts of people like Dr. Felix Yaw Klamatikpoe, who is a scientist with the Water Research Institute.
For the last 15 years he has been involved in developing the Akosombo strain of the Nile Tilapia to make it more suitable for commercial farming purposes.
The strain was developed to help farmers with fast growing fingerlings and the aquaculture industry in the country.
Business opportunities
For a long time, fish-farming in Ghana was only done on a small-scale basis, to feed a family or sell a little at the market. But since the 1990s, the government and the World Bank have been trying to promote commercial fish farming in the country.
Fish farmers expect to see more young people in this line of business and want government to get directly involved and also encourage young people to go into it.
