Easy Way To Start Modern Fish Farming Using Benuwatts Reinforced Tarpaulin by Zainab Adanna

Fish farming, no doubt, is a lucrative venture with ever growing market within Nigeria, and a greatly untapped market internationally (especially considering the higher value of the dollar).

I have been in the business of fish production for a reasonable while, and I would like to share my little knowledge on the easiest way someone can engage in fish farming without having to break the bank.

Concrete ponds are quite popular for use in rearing of fishes, but due to some challenges that include high initial cost, high likelihood of cracks and leakages, yearly maintenance cost, bulkiness and immobility among others, plastic tanks came on board.

The limited sizes that plastic tanks come in, coupled with their increasing cost have led to the emergence of an even more convenient and less expensive material for fish farming - tarpaulin.

By tarpaulin, I do not mean the normal ones used in making canopies and bill boards. No, those ones will break under few months after installation as fish ponds.

By tarpaulin, I am actually referring to the reinforced type which can last more than 7 years when used in fish pond construction.

Because there are different types of tarpaulin in the market, and overzealous marketers who are willing to sell low quality materials to customers are not in short supply at all, I will like to advice any interested party to buy directly from Benuwatts.

Benuwatts is about the only reliable manufacturer of fish pond tarpaulin in Nigeria, and I am aware that their reinforced tarpaulin is of ship grade (the type used in ship construction that withstands high ocean tides).

Initially when I bought my first fish pond tarpaulins, I bought from retailers who, as I later discovered, always bought directly from Benuwatts and then retail to direct consumers at a higher price.

Some retailers actually offer to do the wh*** construction for you, but I have come to discover that it is cheaper for you to embark on Do It Yourself (DIY) project. Just buy the genuine tarpaulin suits from Benuwatts and then engage your local carpenter or welder to help you construct whatever size of frame you like.

However, if you intend to install more than 15 tarpaulin fish ponds, then – as stated on Benuwatts website – you can also rely on the hired services of their expert agricultural and building engineers. 

In my next write up, I will give a little cost analysis that will further inform you on your choice of materials for fish pond construction.

Thanks for reading.