Women-led fish farming businesses

The challenge

Many women in Malawi farm fish in small ponds for their own food, with little left to sell. Fish deaths, costly feed and a lack of fingerlings keep yields low, and women are often shut out of higher-value markets. The programme needed to know how women could run fish farming as a business.

What we did

• Ran a gender-focused value chain study across eight districts, with field research, focus groups and market analysis.
• Built financial models for small-scale ponds, improved small-scale systems, commercial ponds and hatcheries.
• Analysed routes to market, prices and food safety rules to see where women lose out.
• Identified practical steps, from feed and fingerling supply to grouping sales, processing and certification.

Results

• 161 stakeholders engaged, including women fish farmers, cooperatives, traders, processors, hatcheries and public bodies.
• Business models set out for four types of fish farm and hatchery.
• Fish deaths, feed costs and fingerling shortages identified as the main limits on profit.
• Recommendations made for women-led processing, including chilling, freezing, packaging and MBS certification.