Aquaculture: A hidden goldmine for the rural poor—A cost–benefit analysis of fish farming for sustainable development and food security in Vihiga County, Kenya

In Kenya, aquaculture plays a significant role in enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities by boosting the local economy and diversifying protein sources. Although Vihiga County in Western Kenya boasts considerable potential for aquaculture, it paradoxically experiences some of the highest lev...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Business strategy & development 2024-06, Vol.7 (2), p.n/a
Main Authors: Syanya, Fredrick Juma, Harikrishnan, Mahadevan, Simiyu, Naomy Nasambu, Khanna, A. R. Nikhila, Litabas, Joel Anyula, Mathia, Wilson Munala
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
aquaculture
aquaculture economics
break‐even
budgetary techniques
business strategy
net return
profitability
sustainable development
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Summary:In Kenya, aquaculture plays a significant role in enhancing the livelihoods of rural communities by boosting the local economy and diversifying protein sources. Although Vihiga County in Western Kenya boasts considerable potential for aquaculture, it paradoxically experiences some of the highest levels of poverty and malnutrition in the country. The profitability of fish farming has also been affected by inefficiencies and poor resources, disproportionately affecting the income and nutritional value of rural poor who rely on Aquaculture as a source of cheap protein. The study was conducted in Vihiga County to assess the cost–benefit of aquaculture production, selecting 100 fish farmers through a stratified random sampling technique from five sub‐counties. A descriptive research design was employed, and data analysis was conducted using correlation and regression analysis with SPSS. Budgetary techniques were used for the cost–benefit analysis. Data presentation was by comparing the mean and standard deviation in US dollars of different pond size production. The research findings indicated that the size and type of pond do not have a significant correlation and differences in production (p‐value >.05). There is a strong positive correlation between the size of the pond and the stocking density. The variable cost (VC) has a positive correlation with pond productivity meaning that an increase in VC leads to an increase in production. And is not statistically significant (p‐value = .21827, p‐value >.05). Moreover, the total cost (TC) correlation is statistically significant (p‐value = .0351, p 
ISSN:2572-3170
2572-3170
DOI:10.1002/bsd2.348