Kenya's aquaculture industry holds immense potential to drive food security, job creation, and economic growth. However, challenges such as underinvestment, market access constraints, post-harvest losses, and a lack of knowledge and technical skills continue to hinder its growth.

Last night, Vemric Fish Processors was featured on KBC Business News, where we had the opportunity to highlight these pressing issues and showcase the transformative impact of value addition in fisheries.

One of the biggest bottlenecks in Kenya's aquaculture sector is the difficulty smallholder fish farmers face in accessing reliable and profitable markets. Many are forced to sell their fish at low farm gate prices, limiting their earnings and discouraging production.

As a leading fish processing and value addition enterprise, Vemric Fish Processors has developed an integrated market access model to bridge the gap between fish farmers and consumers. Our state-of-the-art processing facility, equipped with cold chain infrastructure, ensures quality preservation, reduces post-harvest losses, and guarantees fish farmers fair pricing and a structured off-take system.

Vemric operates within The Aquaculture and Blue Economy Consortium (TAC), an end-to-end value chain model that strengthens fish farming, aggregation, and processing. Our close collaboration with Jumbo Fish Farm ensures that fish farmers receive quality inputs such as fingerlings and feeds, training, and extension services, ultimately boosting their productivity and sustainability.

Women are at the heart of Kenya's fisheries sector, yet many face economic and social barriers that limit their earning potential. Through initiatives such as the Rent-to-Own Boat Program, No Sex for Fish Campaign, and our structured employment program, Vemric is championing economic empowerment for women, ensuring they have access to ownership opportunities, decent work, and financial independence.

Kenya imports over 379,000 metric tons of fish annually, despite having vast water bodies capable of producing sufficient fish to meet local demand. The sector needs urgent investments in technology, financing, and policy support to unlock its full potential.

The feature on KBC comes ahead of the Siaya International Trade & Investment Conference, where key industry players, investors, and policymakers will discuss opportunities for scaling aquaculture and accelerating investments in Kenya's blue economy.

The time to act is now! We invite investors, financial institutions, and development partners to collaborate in unlocking financing, strengthening market systems, and supporting local fish farmers.

Be part of the solution. Engage with us at the Siaya International Trade & Investment Conference and help drive the future of Kenya's aquaculture sector.